Darkness can never dim the heart
by Kagome5
Summary: A KaoruKenshin love fanfic. Who is after Karou, and why! What will Kenshin do if he loses Karou forever, and dido for her? Read to find out.
1. Chapter One Arrival to Orasumi Manor

~Chapter One- Arrival to Orasumi Manor~

Karou, Kenshin, Yahiko, Sanoske, and Misao, all arrived at the huge mansion a little later then Kenshin had hoped for, but it was no big deal. This was a holiday for them all, so time was of no concern.

Karou spread her arms out and smelt the fresh mountain air.

"Wow! It's really beautiful here! Just smell the air, and listen to the birds!" She exclaimed with happiness in her voice.

Kenshin smiled at Karou's strange behavior. He hardly ever saw her at peace and content with things, only on vacations. The rest of the time it was work, work, and, you guessed it, more work.

Back in the busy, continually growing city of Tokyo, Karou did nothing but train Yahiko, and occasionally another that wanted to learn, the Kamiya Kashin style sword method, and also took care of her dojo, and sometimes took part time jobs to put food on the table for Yahiko and Kenshin, who resided there as their home for a while at least.

It wasn't just Karou that had all the work though to do. Yahiko was continually training, and trying to get better day by day. He also did chores that Karou assigned him, and tried his best to be helpful around the dojo when he could. 

Kenshin was usually doing laundry or washing dishes at the dojo, playing with little Sazume and Ayame, or at many of times, helping people with enemies. It's what he had wanted to do after all, so why bother get in his way? That's what Karou would tell herself.

While Karou, Yahiko, and Kenshin had their work cut out for them, Sanoske didn't do much. The most he ever did with help Kenshin in battle, but other then that, he was a very lazy person, who didn't even pay tab at the accebeko, a small restaurant in Tokyo.

Misao had just recently moved into the dojo with Karou and the others, so she was still getting into the habit of things to do around the place, but she certainly wasn't lazing around.

Their other friend, Magumi, was a doctor, that didn't have much time for vacation, or anything else for that matter. It was a busy time, so the group went on this holiday without her.

It came up so unexpectedly too, that Karou or Kenshin had no time to arrange something with Miss Magumi.

As Karou let the wind brush past her with much gentleness, the huge doors the mansion were opened, and a very short, wrinkled man stepped out to greet them.

"Ah! Welcome, Himura, Kamiya, and all your other followers! It's very good of you to accept my offer to join me in this mansion for a few days of relaxation. It's the least I could do for what Himura did for me!" The old man said aloud.

Kenshin grinned. "It was really no big thing, that it wasn't, but you really didn't have to do this for us."

The man shook his head. "Nonsense. You people completely deserve this!"

Misao tapped Kenshin's shoulder.

He turned, and saw an angry face looking back at him.

"HIMURA, YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT!!!!!!! OF COURSE WE DESERVE THIS VACATION!!!!!!!!!! STOP PRETENDED THAT WE DON'T!!!!!!!! I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BE ON ONE BEFORE I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW!!!!!!!!!!"

Kenshin blinked. "Oro?" Was all he could think of to reply.

Karou smiled at him.

"She's right though Kenshin! This vacation isn't just for us, it's for _you_! You should be rewarded sometimes! Please be happy!"

Somehow Karou always had a way to make Kenshin stop being so responsible like, and so he nodded and smiled.

"Miss Karou is right, that she is! And so is Miss Misao! I suppose we all deserve this holiday, that we do!"

The old man nodded.

"Very well, let my servants show you your quarters, and then we will meet in the back gardens for some tea! How does that sound to you?"

"OH THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Misao and Karou jumped up and stated.

Yahiko rolled his eyes. "I'd rather go look around the woods. I heard there are some really cool places to go check out in these forests!"

Sanoske bent down into Yahiko's face.

"You mean like ghost's and creepy bums and stuff like that?"

Yahiko blinked. "N..No. I'm just saying…it'd sure beat going to a boring old tea party in a garden!!!"

Karou lifted her hand and hit Yahiko's head.

"OUCH!!!!!! THAT HURT!!! WHY'D YAH DO THAT, KAROU!!!" He screeched as he held his head.

"Be a little more polite would you!!! It's not everyday some rich guy invites simple people like us to stay at his summer mansion for a few days! Don't you dare ruin it for everyone!!!" Karou whispered into Yahiko's ear, trying hard not to yell.

The old man's hearing was better then she had expected though.

"It's quite alright, Miss Kamiya. If I was a young lad as he, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near a tea party and a garden either. Please, I insist, let him do as he pleases. This is a vacation. I want all of you to feel as if you can do anything you please, when you please."

Yahiko smirked at Karou.

"Hey Karou, I like this guy! At least he has _some _sense, unlike _you_!"

Karou's eyes turned red.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!!!!!! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET WHAT YOU SAID HERE AND NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sanoske and Kenshin had to grab onto Karou to keep her from damaging Yahiko's ego, while Yahiko stood there and made faces.

In the background, the old man smiled and motioned for them to follow.

"Please, come this way."

The only one who followed was Misao.

"Oh yes! Thank you so much, Sir! I can't express how cool this is!"

Yahiko, Sanoske, Kenshin, and Karou all watched Misao and the old man walk into the mansion doors, and suddenly remember to follow.

"WAIT FOR US!!!!!!!!!" They all cried as they dove into the doorway before it closed.

When Karou opened her eyes, what she found in front of her w breath-taking!!

"Whoa…..it's so…perfect." She could feel herself getting overly passionate about the beautiful mansion that she had been invited to live in for a few days.

"You like it, Miss Kamiya?" The old man stated.

Karou smiled and blushed at the same time, in some sort of fantasy look.

"Like it? It's so lovely! I couldn't ask for a more perfect place to stay! Thank you so much, Sir Orasumi."

The man nodded, and motioned for Karou to follow 2 servant girls that would take her up 4 flights of stairs, up to her quarters.

Karou laced her handed together and followed as told, up the stairs. She didn't even look back at the others.

Misao was busy admiring the talk stairs, going up and up and up and not stopped for many floors! The place had to be at least 10 stories high!!!

Yahiko looked at pictures on the walls and priceless vases and paintings.

Kenshin didn't notice though. He watched Karou go up the stairs, and eventually disappear into the many steps, too far up to see anymore.

He smiled gently.

Sanoske noticed and grinned.

"So, Kenshin? You think she likes it here?"

Kenshin's smile grew.

"Yes."

Sanoske nodded.

"Well, looks like you did something good for everyone, including her! Good for you, buddy."

Kenshin looked up at Sanoske with a bit of confusion, then he took in a breath of air, and smiled again.

*I hope everyone enjoys themselves.* He told himself in mind as he began to follow another servant lady, that would take him to his quarters.

~Ok! I hope you liked the first chapter! There's more to come! ^-^ ~


	2. Chapter two A Dress and A smile

~Chapter Two- A Dress and A Smile~

"Here we are, Miss Kamiya. We hope you enjoy your stay." The 2 servant ladies opened the doors to a large door, and bowed as the walked away.

"Thank you." She bowed in return for their kindness, and then shut the door large door behind her.

She turned slowly around and about died with bliss of the sight that lay in front of her.

A beautiful room, with soft tan carpet under her feet, lace curtains covering the 4 large windows, sunlight pouring in, a gentle bed with silk covers, an actual western-style gown that she had heard many women in England wore was hung nicely in the closet, which was opened, many other gowns and other outfits hanging neatly as well. Above her bed, a huge chandler hung with shimmering crystals dangling from it, and the walls were covered with art of all sorts, and a lovely wall-paper of light pink, with flower designs in the background of it all.

Karou had never seen such elegance in her entire life!!!

Her eyes were shimmering with the beauty as she walked over to the bed and sat down on it, immediately feeling the first-class comfort of the feathered padding underneath the silk blankets.

She let herself fall onto it, and she laid there for a good 5 minutes.

She smiled brightly as she recalled something.

*I just remembered……the old man named Mr. Orasumi had given Kenshin the gift of staying a few days here, not knowing that Kenshin had friends that may have wanted to go as well. Kenshin could have lied to us all that he was going on a trip alone, and that he would be back, and stay here at this mansion all by himself, just him and the old man, and not tell him about me or the others, but instead, he told Mr. Orasumi that he had friends…..and that's the whole reason why I'm here in this beautiful room, getting treated like royalty!*

She sighed.

"He wanted us to come. He wanted to be with us. He's so wonderful." 

"Who is?" Said an awfully familiar voice from the doorway.

Karou jumped up and saw Kenshin standing there with 2 bags.

She immediately reddened and looked the other way.

"N…No one. No one at all! Hehe….yeah……"

Kenshin blinked.

"Well…..I came up here because you forgot your bags. Where do you want me to put them?"

Karou smiled weakly.

"Oh…just leave them by the door. I'll put my things away in a minute."

She said this without looking at his face.

"Miss Karou? Is something the matter?" Kenshin questioned, with worry in his voice Karou didn't notice.

Karou forced herself to look up at Kenshin.

"Nothing's wrong. Why do you say that! Things couldn't be better!"

She held out a smile on her lips and tried to keep it there until Kenshin left.

Kenshin wasn't completely satisfied with her answer, for he knew something was troubling her, but he figured she wanted to be alone, so he nodded, and closed the door behind him.

Karou noticed on his face a look she didn't like seeing, and she hardly ever did. It was a look of disappointment on his face as he shut the door.

He fake smile vanished exactly when the door was closed, and she sighed again deeply.

*Why didn't I say something like…. "Thank you so much for invited me here with you and the others"….or anything except pretending to smile so he would leave?*

She laid back down on her bed and put her hands over her face.

"I'm such an idiot. I hurt him. Why did I do that? Why am I such a loser?" She said aloud to herself.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door.

She sat up once more.

"Um….come in?" Was all she could think of.

She prayed it was Kenshin, but it turned out to be one of the servant ladies that had led her to her room.

"Sorry to disrupt you, Miss Kamiya, but are you going to be attending to tea time in the back garden?"

Karou suddenly remembered about the tea party, and her eyes widened.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot there for a moment…..um…..could you answer something for me?"

The woman nodded.

Karou continued.

"Who all will be out there?"

The older woman smiled at her.

"Ah yes! Miss Misao will be joining Sir Orasumi, as well as Mr. Himura! Why do you ask?"

Karou smiled a bit.

"No reason, just wondering. Thanks. I have just one more favor to ask of you, though."

The woman blinked.

"Yes?"

Karou began to blush with embarrassment as she pointed to the western dress in the closet.

"Could you help me put that on? I've never worn one before, and….I have no clue how to do it!!! That must be a first for you to hear, right?"

The woman giggled a bit.

"Heavens no! Most of Sir Orasumi's guests do not have a clue as to how they're supposed to put those dazzling dresses on, but let me tell you, it's worth all the trouble of having help. One looks so beautiful in one!"

Karou was glad the woman was nice about it.

"Oh thank you! Could you help me put it on now?"

In just a few minutes, Karou was looking at herself in a giant mirror, the gorgeous light violet dress hanging with such grace down to her toes. The whole thing was flawless! Stunning laces of the same color all ran down across the design. It fell so perfectly over her shape too!

She felt like some kind of western princess in it!

"Thanks for your help."

She stated as the woman made a few final adjustments to the boa in the back.

The woman smiled at her in the mirror.

"You look breath-taking, Miss Kamiya! No wonder Mr. Himura had it especially made for you! Luckily for him….it was as free as a piece of dirt would be, but Sir Orasumi explained to be that Mr. Himura would have gladly sacrificed thousands of yen to have the dress made here in Japan, in your favorite color too! What a kind and most certainly gentle man Mr. Himura is."

Karou about fainted at the hearing of this! 

"You mean to say that…..Kenshin had this dress made for me…._especially _for me…….in my _favorite _color…..with the most _wonderful _of fabrics and laces…….just for….._me_?"

The woman nodded happily.

"Yes……that's why I got to thinking, and I quote…..Mr. Himura must truly, deeply think much of you. I'm sure it's the truth. It's nice that you're wearing this dress for him. He'd like to see you in it, I'm positive!"

Karou sighed with content.

*Kenshin…..* Her mind whispered.

"Well, there you are, Miss Kamiya! Come along now, and I'll take you to the garden!" The woman grinned as she began to walk out of the room.

Karou decided to leave her hair down, and left her boa behind as she rushed after the woman.

~Out in the Garden~

"WOW!!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!" Misao repeatedly spoke as she sat there with a happy smile on her face, and shimmering eyes.

"It's just the coolest most fancy-wancy thing I've ever seen!!!! HEHEHE!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY ONE OF THESE CUPCKAES!!!! OHHHHH, AND ONE OF THESE GOOD LOOKING MUFFENS, AND, OOOHHH, YUMMY!!!! ONE OF THESE CRUMPETS!!!! DELISIOUS!!!! SOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!" She exclaimed as she couldn't control her happy grinning with pleasure at the smell of everything that lay in front of her on the table.

Mr. Orasumi chuckled. "You can have as much as you like, Miss Misao! There's enough here for everyone of you!"

Misao's eyes filled with shine as she looked up at Mr. Orasumi.

"REALLY!!!! YOU MEAN IT!!!!!!!!! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kenshin sat quietly beside Misao's rustling form. 

He smiled a small grin to Misao's excitement, but then frowned again.

The earlier encounter with Karou was still bothering him.

"Mr. Orasumi? I was wondering…….is Miss Karou going to be joining us?" He questioned while looking as if he was hoping for a positive answer.

Mr. Orasumi shrugged.

"I must tell you the truth, I really have no idea. I sent one of the servant ladies to ask her about 15 minutes ago, but I don't believe Miss Kamiya decided to come out since it's been so long. Why don't we go ahead and start eating."

"YEAH!!!!!!!!! LET'S START EATING NOW!!!! I FEEL LIKE SUCH A GOOF SITTING HERE IN FRONT OF ALL THIS FOOD AND TEA AND NOT TOUCHING IT!!!!!!!!!! COME ON HIMURA!!!!!!!!!! EAT!!!!!!!!!" Misao jumped up and stated as she patted Kenshin's head, then started to eat furiously.

As Mr. Orasumi and Misao began to eat, Kenshin just sat there.

For a moment he felt unsure if he should eat or not.

*What Miss Karou said to me back there in her room……the way she looked at me. I really don't think she wanted me there in the first place.* He thought to himself sadly.

He bit his bottom lip, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Well….I guess I'll go now…..I'm not very hungry anymore anyway, that I'm now. Sorry, Mr.-"

"Mr. Orasumi!!"

Kenshin was interrupted by the servant ladies voice.

The three looked up and saw the woman standing in front of them, with a smile.

"Sorry, Mr. Orasumi, for being so late with Miss Kamiya! She needed some help with something before we came down here, but at least she made it!"

Kenshin stared at the woman, then, from behind the tall, trimmed bushes, Karou stepped out as well, her eyes facing the ground, her cheeks blushing furiously.

Kenshin was speechless. All he could do was sit there and stare with astonishment at Karou, his mouth dropping open slightly, he saw the beautiful dress he had had made for her, fitting her so perfectly.

"Wow! Karou! Love the western dress! Where'd you get it from?!" Misao laughed and complemented at the same time.

Karou didn't look up. 

Embarrassment had her caught big time, and she continued to blush an even darker red!

After a moment, Kenshin realized her situation, and smiled.

"Miss Karou…..please, come and sit down."

Karou's breath caught for a moment, then she slowly looked up.

Kenshin was smiled at her.

She smiled too when she figured out how to move her legs again.

She turned and bowed to the woman.

"Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it!"

The woman bowed back, and left.

Karou then turned back around to see Mr. Orasumi and Misao talking about something she had no clue what, and Kenshin looking up at her from where he sat.

His smile would not fade, she knew that.

She smiled too as she sat down beside him, and began to eat, pouring tea for both of them.

She loved his smile.

~Well, hope you like so far! Keep going baby! Hehehe!!!~

~Smile B~ ^-^


	3. Chapter Three almost said thank you

~Chapter Three-Fooled and regretted, but almost said thank you~

"Ohhhhh……I'm so full I think I'm gonna die!!! Help me someone!!" Misao moaned as she laid in her chair, about to burst with muffins, cupcakes, crumpets, and 10 cups of tea!!!!

"Well, Miss Misao….if you hadn't have eaten so much, you would not feel so full right now, that you would not." Kenshin stated.

Misao glared at Kenshin for a moment.

"If I wasn't so stuffed, I'd smack you, Himura."

Karou smiled at the two, then noticed Mr. Orasumi getting up.

"Where are you going, Mr. Orasumi? Aren't you going to stay a while longer and visit?"

Karou questioned.

Mr. Orasumi shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid my treat was spending this tea party with you. Although this is summer, and I'm living in my summer home, I'm not off work. I'm very close to government work right now, and I need to go visit one of my officials for some business. Terribly sorry. But remember, my home is your home right now, do as you please for the rest of the afternoon, and hopefully, I'll be joining you all for dinner tonight."

Kenshin, Karou, and Misao nodded.

"Good day to you all."

And with that, Mr. Orasumi left the garden without any hesitation.

A tall man dressed in a dark black kimono stood in the doorway to the mansion from the garden, and looked down at Mr. Orasumi.

"Do you have a plan yet? How will you get back at out Mr. Himura?"

Mr. Orasumi shook his head.

"I believe, Mr. Himura isn't the one we should be after. He was the one who saved my life after all. I can at least spear _his _life. A life for a life, you know?"

The tall man grunted.

"Then why do you have a grudge against this Mr. Himura….whom used to be the Battosai and ruled over your part of the government?"

Mr. Orasumi sighed.

"It's not Mr. Himura…nor the Battosai I have a grudge against. I'd rather have him as an ally then a foe. It's Miss Kamiya that I despise so much."

The tall man smirked.

"And why is that, old friend?"

Mr. Orasumi looked back at the tea party, and he could hear Karou's voice laughing with Misao.

"Miss Kamiya's father and I……were enemies ever since the revolution….and he died before I could get my revenge on him….for making a fool out of me. Him and I were rivals in combat, and we both used the Kamiya Kashin style. I believed that the sword was for killing and protecting yourself, but once I told that to Mr. Kamiya that, he threw a fit, saying that the sword was a tool for saving people with, and protecting the ones you love. What a bunch of rubbish he spoke, and yet, he embarrassed me in front of the entire Kamiya Kashin students back then in his dojo in Tokyo. I was going to kill him with his own style of swordsmanship….but…..when I arrived once at the Kamiya dojo about 12 years ago, I found that the only one left of the Kamiya family….was a little girl named Karou. Her father had been killed already, and she had a mother, but she had died as well. I didn't show my face in front of that little girl that day…but I swore that _one _day, I would kill that girl named Karou, and get my revenge."

"What a brilliant story, Sir Orasumi. So your target isn't Mr. Himura at all. It's the other way around, correct?" The tall man pointed out.

"Yes. I didn't know Mr. Himura had any acquaintance with Miss Kamiya, but turns out, when I invited him to join me at my summer home as a gift of thank you for saving my life, he wrote be back a message, saying that he had a family that would come along too, one of which was Miss Kamiya. So I plotted…..why not get rid of her now. It's a perfect opportunity! No one will suspect a thing!" Mr. Orasumi explained.

The tall man nodded, and the two men walked into the mansion, out the front door a few minutes later, and rode off in a carriage to visit the officials.

~Back in the garden~

"Well….I'm gonna go unpack, okay you guys?" Misao stated to Karou and Kenshin, while standing up from the table.

"Okay…we'll see you later on then, that we will." Kenshin smiled to Misao.

Misao giggled, then ran into the mansion, leaving Karou and Kenshin alone.

Kenshin looked to Karou after a moment, and saw her looking the opposite direction.

In Karou's mind, she was going insane.

*Oh god….Oh god…..please don't think of me as rude…..I'm just so nervous. WHY THOUGH!!!!! I NEVER USED TO BE THIS WAY!!!!!??? What will he say to me? What will he do?* She exclaimed in thought.

Kenshin didn't understand why Karou wouldn't look at him.

"Miss….Karou? Are you still angry with me over something? If you are….please tell me what I did wrong." He got out.

Karou grasped her dress with her fingers tightly.

"I……I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong. Nothing at all."

Kenshin sighed, not knowing whether to believe her or not.

Suddenly, 2 blue birds flew from the trees above the garden.

Kenshin watched as the flew higher and higher into the sky, and then vanished into the golden sunshine.

He smiled.

"Miss Karou? Would you like to take a walk with me? It's such a nice day, that it is. It would be fun!" He questioned.

Karou's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but turn to him.

He saw the redness on her cheeks, and the shock in her eyes.

"Y….You'd take me?" She stuttered.

"Of course." He grinned, and stood up.

Karou stared up at him for a while, unsure what to do.

His smile was so wonderful. It made her want to smile so badly.

"Come on. I bet there's a path or something into the forest."

Kenshin then held out his hand to her, and somehow, as the light hit him just right, she felt herself lost within that moment, and she lifted her hand and placed it into his gently.

He grasped her hand very softly, and helped her stand up.

She stood with him, and let him lead her into the back of the garden, and there, he opened a gate, and continued to lead her into the forest.

The beautiful shadows of the trees high above their heads, and the spots of sunlight shinning in, it was almost as if they were in some sort of fairytale story.

Slowly, she could feel Kenshin's hand grasping hers more and more.

Her heart was beating madly, but she was also so very calm, she didn't understand herself at that moment.

Soon, they approached a ledge, overlooking the entire forests below them. 

The sunlight was bright and warm, and as they stood there enjoying the view, Karou slowly turned to look at Kenshin.

His smile was soft, and his eyes were so gorgeous. 

Those violet eyes.

She loved his eyes so much.

Violet.

It was the same color as her dress she wore.

She realized she her favorite color was violet. 

It never used to be, but when she saw Kenshin's eyes for the first time about a year and a half before, and saw the gentleness and caring expressions given to her from them, she fell in love with that shade. It was so unique. 

Her hand tightened around his then.

He looked to her and continued to smile.

"Miss Karou……" He said ever so carefully.

"Kenshin……I wanted to tell you……I wanted to say that I…..I mean…..than-"

"KAROU, KENSHIN!!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!"

Karou was suddenly interrupted by Yahiko's excited voice.

For some reason, Kenshin and Karou's hands snapped back from one another, and to their sides.

They both turned away from each other and to Yahiko, and the soon after Sanoske.

"Look at it! Isn't it just the coolest!?"

Yahiko held out an old piece of some type of crystal.

"Wow! Where did you find this at, Yahiko?" Kenshin questioned as he took the crystal from the boy's hand and observed it up close.

"It was actually Sanoske that found it, but isn't it cool! I bet you these forests used to be covered with those things! We were lucky to have found that one!" Yahiko explained.

"What do yah mean by "we"!! I was the one that found it, not you, yah little pipsqueak!!" Sanoske barked.

Yahiko grabbed the crystal from Kenshin's hands, and ran off up the path Kenshin and Karou had come from.

"HEY!!!!!! COME BACK HERE YAH LITTLE JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S MINE!!!!!!!!!!!" Sanoske ran after Yahiko, his fists shaking wildly.

Kenshin took a step forward, and noticed that Karou wasn't following.

He turned around and saw her staring at the ground, still completely unable to let the moment before pass like it was nothing at all.

"Come on, Miss Karou. We should be getting back to the mansion. We still have a lot of unpacking to do." He explained.

Karou's fists tightened, but she followed slowly behind.

She looked ahead at the samurai walking forward.

It was too different from what had happened before.

When he took her into the forest, she was happy, and her hand was in his.

Now it was just an empty feeling that was always there.

*I wanted to say……thank you.* She whispered in thought to herself, knowing she couldn't bring herself to say it to Kenshin again.

~Is this sad or what??? Well…keep reading! Plenty more where that came from! Hehehe!!!~

~Smile B~ -^.^-


	4. chapter Four Saddened eyes

~Chapter Four- Saddened eyes~

Karou pulled out her 4 most beloved kimonos from her travel bags, and laid them out on her bed.

The summer evening was still light and friendly out side her 4 large windows.

She could hear Misao and Yahiko running around below her window 4 stories down, but she ignored it.

What had happened earlier still completely killed her mind.

*Why was I so happy at that moment….when he was leading me into the forest….holding my hand with his……I felt so…..relieved and at peace. I felt like nothing could ever go wrong, or ever hurt and scare me ever again. I felt like I was in a place where I could call my heaven, and he was my angel. I wanted to tell him thank you…..so badly. Now he's done so much, and I've said nothing. Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but I just feel like I should have said thank you back there……in the forest. Was it because Yahiko and Sano were there right before I said it….or was it I was too afraid….too frightened to tell him.* Karou complained to herself in thought.

She hung her kimonos and night gowns in the closet.

As she shut the closet door, the mirror on the back of the door faced her, and she saw herself staring back into her blue eyes.

She stared for a long time.

She saw herself…..an 18 year old, short, skinny, black long haired, perhaps awful looking girl, in a dress too lovely to be worn by the likes of herself.

Was that really what she thought?

Did she think she was that horrible?

That made her wonder what Kenshin saw when he looked at her.

He was so perfect, and she was so…..horrible.

"Is that it then?" She spoke aloud to her reflection.

"Am I afraid, not of embarrassment, or of Kenshin……but of myself? Surely not. I know what I'm afraid of."

She looked to her feet.

"I'm afraid of what Kenshin thinks of me."

Yes, that was it. 

Exactly.

"Miss Kamiya?" A voice came from her doorway.

Karou immediately looked to the door.

It was the woman who had helped her with her dress earlier that afternoon.

"Sorry to disturb you once again, but dinner's ready. Won't you be joining Mr. Orasumi and the others?" The woman questioned.

Karou smiled weakly.

"I'll…..be there in a minute." She spoke softly.

"Alright then. I'll tell everyone to wait for you. I'll go get Mr. Himura though. He's probably ready for dinner." The woman said.

"Kenshin? You mean his room is close to mine?" Karou said in surprise.

The woman nodded. "In a way. His room is up a few more stories. I believe on story….um…oh yes! The 6th story! That's it!"

Karou laughed a bit, the first time all day.

"How many stories are there to this house?"

The woman laughed as well.

"Oh, I'd say about 10! Pretty big, huh?"

Karou nodded as the woman shut her door.

Her smile faded after that.

She walked over to the chesterdrowres and looked down at her many ribbons. Not one matched her violet dress!

Not one.

She sighed and settled for her pink one.

It was somewhat similar to her real life.

She didn't have a match for herself…..and so, she settled for being alone.

That was how it was always going to be.

~Dinner~

Karou walked out of her room and shut her door softly.

She folded her hands over one another in her front, and walked slowly to the stairway.

When she got there, Kenshin was heading down as well from on floor up.

When she saw him, she wanted to smile, but she couldn't.

She continued to frown, and she looked away.

*You don't wanna look at my ugly face, do you?* She said sadly in thought.

When Kenshin saw her look away, his smile turned to a frown as well.

He still didn't know what he had done wrong.

He bit his bottom lip, and lowered his head, and continued to walk down the stairs, being extra careful not to come too close to Karou.

He didn't want to get in her way at all.

He felt like he had done something awful, but he didn't know what.

It was something he couldn't understand he came to, and let the thought pass.

But the more he watched Karou's back as he walked down the stairs behind her, he couldn't help but wish and was smiling and laughing with him as she usually did.

*And in that dress……I wish she would be happy. That's what I wanted her to be…..when she found out I had it made for her…..just for her.* He whispered in thought to himself.

Finally, the slow walk to the huge dinning room ended.

Misao wore a new kimono, supposedly one she was borrowing from the mansion, and Yahiko had his best kimono on….not because he wanted to look classy, but because Sanoske made him wear it because he had to wear his as well.

"Oh wow!!!!!!!!!" Misao clapped her hands with happiness.

"The meal looks even better then the tea party this afternoon!!!! Ohhhhh!!!! Thank you Mr. Orasumi!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!" She laughed.

"It's no problem, Miss Misao! Please! Like this afternoon, have as much as you prefer to have! I've made a welcome feast fit for a king!" Mr. Orasumi chuckled as he patted Misao's head softly.

"REALLY?! THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! LET'S DIG IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Misao exclaimed as she started putting things on her plate and eating them like a pig would do it's sludge.

Yahiko stared at Misao with annoyance.

"You know, Misao, it's not that big a deal really! Would you stop acting like we all mistreats you back at the dojo!!!!!"

Misao glared back as a piece of tofu stuck out of her mouth.

"I'm not……..little brat."

Yahiko slammed his hands down onto the table and stood up.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY _UGLEST _GIRL IN THE UNIVERSE????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Misao swallowed the tofu and looked away from Yahiko.

Yahiko blinked for a moment, thinking she was going to punch him or something, but didn't, and then he sat down…..knowing he had been defeated with nothing but a simple turn of Misao's head!

Karou sat next to Sanoske at the end of the table, and Kenshin sat next to Yahiko, right across from Karou at the end of the table.

It made it so hard for the both of them.

Karou was afraid to look up from her plate, but she wanted to badly to look at Kenshin. To see him.

She didn't know why, but seeing him made her calm.

It was no use though. She could do it.

On the other hand, Kenshin couldn't look up either. He was too afraid that if he did, he would see her staring back at him with hurt in her eyes.

Karou slowly picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat though, just as Kenshin managed to do.

Mr. Orasumi smiled at Misao chowing down, and Yahiko trying to pay no attention to Misao's ignoring him.

Sanoske was happily eating away as if nothing was wrong, and everything was fine.

Mr. Orasumi looked to Kenshin, noticed he was looking a bit uneasy, but passed it as nothing, and then, when his eyes met Karou's figure, slowly eat with a saddened look on her face, fire seemed to fill his eyes.

*I'll have your life and my revenge soon, Miss Kamiya, but first, let me seem to be extra nice to you, so you won't suspect a thing.*

Just as he thought this, he turned and saw Kenshin staring him down.

The look in his eyes said something he couldn't read.

They seemed to say… "Back off" ….or something, but he turned away and put on a fake smile as he face Karou again.

"Ah! Miss Kamiya! You look simply gorgeous in that dress! Why, isn't that the dress Mr. Himura had made for you?" He said in a happy sounding voice.

Karou looked to Mr. Orasumi and smiled very weakly.

"Yes……..this is the dress."

Mr. Orasumi smiled even brooder.

"Well…do you like it? Isn't it just the most spectacular dress you've ever seen?" 

Karou's weak smile vanished.

Kenshin had to look at her now.

"Please……excuse me…….if it's alright, I'm finished. I'm sorry Mr. Orasumi….but I'm not very hungry at the moment. Thank you anyway for the meal." She said very quietly, almost to the point that no one could hear her.

She then quickly sat up from her seat, and walked out of the room.

Misao, Yahiko, Sano, and Mr. Orasumi all stared.

Kenshin's eyes filled with sorrow for a moment as he watched the swinging door Karou left through swing back and forth.

Then he lowered his head, and started eating again as in nothing had happened.

Misao stood up from the table.

"Well, Himura!? Aren't you gonna go after her?! She looked really sad!!!"

Kenshin looked up at Misao with a look she had never seen before.

"I think Miss Karou just wants to be left alone, that she does. Let's let her be, alright Miss Misao?" He said ever so careful to have a straight voice.

Misao heard his sadness even if he didn't crack in his voice.

She sat down all the same.

It took a while for everyone to continue eating again.

Kenshin felt horrible.

He wanted to go after Karou.

He wanted to make her smile.

But he couldn't.

He just couldn't.

~Sorry!!! It's just sooo very sad right now!!! It'll get happier though! I promise!!! Keep going!~

~Smile B~


	5. Chapter Five Wanting, but not getting

~Chapter Five- Wanting, but not getting~

After dinner was over and done with, Misao and Yahiko decided to go out and watch the fireflies, and at least attempt to catch one.

Sanoske wanted nothing more then to get to bed. He was pooped out from dealing with Yahiko all day. That didn't stop him though for catching Kenshin into a corner, and talking with him.

"Kenshin….what's going on with that little missy?! I just don't understand why she left like that from the dinner table, and the way she wouldn't look or talk to you….or even say anything nice about that dress you had made for her." Sanoske explained to Kenshin.

Kenshin looked to the floor.

"I…..don't know what's wrong with her to tell you the truth, Sano. Perhaps…..maybe…..I did something to upset her. Do you think it's possible, Sano?" Kenshin questioned in a sad tone.

Sanoske sighed, and put his hand on Kenshin's shoulder.

"I donno, buddy, but….I think you should go see how's she's doing. Maybe she wants you to come, even if it doesn't seem like it."

Kenshin nodded to Sanoske.

"Thank you. I'll do that then, that I will. What will you do now, Sano?" Kenshin questioned the much taller man then he.

Sanoske smiled.

"I think I'll get a bath, then go to bed. I'm pooped. I'll talk to yah tomorrow, alright! Good luck by the way, too."

Kenshin nodded again, as Sanoske walked away.

Kenshin looked to the staircase, up to the forth floor.

*I'll be going up there to get to my room anyway, so….I mine as well go check on her. Who knows. Maybe Sano was right. Maybe she wants me to come up, even if it doesn't seem like it.* He assured himself as he began to walk up the stairs to her room.

When Kenshin got to her hallway, he slowly walked down the darkened passage, and towards Karou's room.

When he reached her door though, he suddenly stopped.

His hand trembled as he was going to knock, but then he brought his hand to his side and stared down to his feet.

*But what if Miss Karou did want to be left alone? What if I knocked on this door and she would be angry with me for disturbing her?! She's already not speaking to me. Do I really wanna make her even more upset?* He thought with despair.

Inside her room, he carefully heard soft sobbing.

He couldn't just ignore it.

He cautiously cracked open her door to look inside.

His eyes became filled with sorrow when he saw Karou in her night kimono, crying into the dress that he had had made for her on her bed.

He wanted to say something.

He wanted to desperately hold her and tell her everything would be okay.

He wanted to know why she was so sad.

He wanted.

That was all he could think of!

He just wanted.

Wanted, but never got.

Was it the same with her?

He didn't know.

Finally, he made the decision to close the door and leave her be.

Maybe it was best.

He slowly closed her door shut, and walked down the hallway, up to his room.

Karou had barley heard the door click shut, and she looked up from the dampened violet dress to the door.

She stared at the door for a long while.

She finally got up from the bed and walked over to the door.

Kenshin hid behind a wall at the end of the hallway, listening, as her door opened slightly.

She looked out into the dark hallway, and then down both directions.

"……Kenshin?" She questioned the stillness with a tattered voice of unhappiness. 

It had been that way because she had been crying ever since she had reached her room after dinner.

Kenshin heard her question the darkness with his name.

He, yet again, wanted so badly to reply.

But what was he to say?!?!

He didn't know.

And so he continued to head up the staircase towards his story.

He couldn't say anything.

Not one word.

Karou stood there in the hallway for a long time, and he watched from high on the top floor.

He stared as she fell to her knees slowly, while still clinging to the door.

Finally, she brought herself back into her room, and shut the door.

He sighed sadly and looked up to the ceiling above his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Karou." He spoke.

He then headed to his room, and shut the door behind him.

He figured it was no use anymore to try and make peace with Karou.

Not now that he couldn't even say anything to her without feeling helpless.

Why was everything like this?

He hadn't the slightest clue.

~A short chapter, yes, but a good chapter, even more yes! Keep reading!~

~Smile B~


	6. Chapter Six fear of being alone……of bei...

~Chapter Six- fear of being alone……of being all alone in the dark~

"What do yah mean, Sano?" Yahiko questioned as he sat and listened to Sanoske tell her about what had been going on between Karou and Kenshin.

"You heard me, Yahiko. Karou just won't be around Kenshin….and poor Kenshin doesn't know what to do! It's really depressing actually to see them act like this." Sanoske explained.

Yahiko looked to the floor.

"I don't understand. Why is Karou doing this to Kenshin?! He didn't do anything bad to her…so why would she not wanna be around him??!!! I just don't get it."

Sanoske nodded.

"Yeah….I got yah on that one. I don't get it either…..but don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of it…but….in the morning. It's getting late, and we all need to heard for bed."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Misao screamed once she walked into the room and heard Sanoske's declaration.

"Oh….come on, Misao! Aren't you tired!!?? We traveled here most of the day, and you and Yahiko played around for the rest of that time…and now it's almost mid-night, and you wanna stay up longer??!!! I don't understand women at all, _especially _you!!!" Sanoske pointed into Misao's face.

Misao glared.

"Fine! I'll go to bed….but…..I refuse to go to sleep! I REFUSE!!!!"

Misao stated as she began to heard up her staircase to the 3rd floor, where her room was centered.

As she walked up and out of sight, Sanoske pulled Yahiko aside.

"Hey….let's go up there and scare her before be leave for bed too, okay? That'll teach that brat!" He whispered.

Yahiko smirked. "Good plan. Let's do it!"

The two put on sly faces as she crept up the staircase and up the Misao's door.

"Now…on the count of three….we'll jump in and scare the living crap out of her! Alright?" Sanoske plotted.

Yahiko nodded.

Sano began the count-down.

"Three…."

"Two….."

"ONE!!!!"

He shouted as the two threw open the door and cried out freaky noises they didn't even know they could make.

Suddenly, they were paused dead in their tracks as they saw Misao sound asleep on her bed.

Yahiko and Sanoske blinked in confusion.

"But….I thought she said she wasn't tired!!!!!!" Yahiko moaned.

Sanoske rolled his eyes.

"All that talk about refusing to do to bed was a bunch of bull. I should have known. Oh man…. I'm going to bed."

The two then sadly walked out of the room, yet again deprived of their fun.

Misao giggled a bit and then got into bed once they were completely gone.

"What suckers." Misao laughed to herself as she cuddled into her warm bed.

"This bed is much more comfortable then the futons at Karou's dojo! I love it here! I don't think I could ever be scared! It's too happy! Hehehehe! Nighty night my perfect room….and nighty night to me too!"

~One floor up, in Karou's room~

Karou finally stopped her sobbed and sat in front of her big mirror, whipping her eyes with a handkerchief.

Now she studied herself in the mirror for a long while.

She saw what she normally saw…..only her eyes were all puffy.

*Poor, puffy-eyed, ugly, girl.* She thought to herself as she finally looked away from her reflection.

She then picked up her brush and started brushing it out slowly.

*I wonder….did Kenshin come to see me earlier? I just don't know. I could have sworn….that I had felt his presence!* She explained to herself in her head.

*Ah well….if he did, he probably had second thoughts about it or something….like that.*

She almost felt tears coming back to her eyes, but she pushed them away.

She finally got up and walked over to her huge bed.

When she got in, she looked around her room.

Everything was so different from her room back at her dojo.

The smells….the styles….the feelings….and even the bed didn't remind her at all of home.

She sighed, and reached for the light switch on the nightstand beside her bed.

As the light dimmed, and finally vanished, she found herself a bit startled at how dark it had become.

She slowly laid herself down and brought to covers up to her chin.

She stared at the lacing around her bed for a long time….waiting and looking forward to her eyes adjusting to the darkness…..but it never seemed to happen! Not in this dark room.

It was _darker _then dark.

Not even the moon was outside her window to shine in on her and keep her company.

Suddenly, the booming sound of the grandfather clock in her room sounded!!!

Karou pulled the covers completely over her head now, and trembled.

She listened as the clock signaled 1 in the morning.

She sighed heavily, and brought her head out from under her blankets.

The room was still dark as ever.

Soon, things started to take shape out of the corners of her eyes!

The mirror across the room had a reflection in it shaped like something she didn't know…..but something she didn't like.

The grandfather clock took form to a hideous beast that loomed in front of her bed on the opposite wall, staring her down.

She slightly whimpered.

She felt like a little girl, frightened and no one to hold her hand and tell her it was okay.

She felt like she needed that someone to hold her hand.

To make things not so frightening.

Soon, she found herself thinking deeply about the things that had occurred that day.

The way she had treated Kenshin…it was….._harsh_.

Maybe _she _knew why she was acting the way she was, but he didn't.

She remembered his face.

The sad expressions.

Suddenly, a shadow flew across the room!!!!

Karou's eyes widened.

She was frozen in that cold bed.

Frozen stiff.

She trembled more then ever now.

"K….Ken…..Ken….Kensh……..Kenshin….I'm so scared." She stuttered.

"I want to be with you!!! I can't sleep like this….I'm so afraid!!!" She sat up, and she could have sworn that the shadow backed off into her closet.

She believed it was just her imagination, but in truth, it was one of Mr. Orasumi's men….come to try a first attempt to take Karou's life!!

Karou threw off her covers, and with one deep breath, she ran across the room and to her door, opened it quickly, and ran out into the hallway.

It was even darker then her room had been!!!

She knew to turn to her left, and she ran to the stairway leading up to Kenshin's room.

She could almost feel inside her that she was being followed.

Was in the shadow from her room?

She didn't know.

All she did know though, was that she needed to move quickly, even if it may be her imagination….it was still frightening.

She finally reached Kenshin's story, and ran down his hallway.

She didn't know which room to knock on though!!!

She frantically looked to each room, pressing her ear against it to see if she heard anything from inside.

She heard nothing from the first 4 rooms, and finally, back onto the shadows of the hallway, where she had preferred not to go, but figured she had no choice if she wanted to feel safe again…..rushed down into the darkness.

Luckily, and surprisingly, a light was on in the 5th room she approached.

She knew it had to be the room, although she had no clue why Kenshin was still awake. 

She had been sure he would be asleep by this time! He normally was back at her dojo.

But that was of no importance then

She stood in front of the door with the light pouring out from under the crack at the bottom of the door.

For a moment, it seemed like she couldn't believe she was doing this!

She was in her nightgown, running about the shadowed hallways of a huge mansion she hadn't even been to before in her life, and just to find Kenshin….whom probably would prefer to be alone at that hour…..1:30 a.m.!!!

Nevertheless….Karou couldn't go back to that terrifying room of hers, with the shadows of her mind playing tricks on her eyes.

She needed to be with someone….no, not just someone……_him_.

She finally brought herself to knock on his door.

She wrapped her arms around herself, and waited for a reply, all the while hoping and praying that he would answer her knocks. She didn't wanna go back to her room. She didn't!!!

Suddenly, she saw a shadow creep a crossed the door in front of her, and her eyes widened in fear.

The shadow was real!!!! She knew this, because she was able to watch the shadow for a good 10 seconds!!! It _hadn't _been her imagination, and if it had been, and it was at the very moment, she must have been going insane, for she swore to the bottom of her heart that she saw it!!!

She reached up and knocked on the door again, a little louder this time.

She wanted so desperately for Kenshin to answer.

She wanted to just be near him….anything…….any way!! She just didn't wanna be alone any longer in that night where the shadows were after her.

At long last, the door cracked open, and then widely opened as a fully awake Kenshin stared back at her from inside his room.

"Miss…..Karou?! What are you doing up here? I thought that you'd be asleep by this late hour!" He somewhat whispered, although he had no reason to, for they were the only ones up there.

When Kenshin saw Karou's frightened expression, he opened the door for her.

"What's wrong? Mind telling me why you look so terrified, Miss Karou?"

Karou was breathing in and out very deeply, and she placed her hand over her heart as she felt it beating quickly.

"Miss….Karou?" Kenshin questioned her once again.

She turned to him and stared into his eyes…..those violet eyes of his, that never seemed to look terrified, even now.

"I….I'm so sorry to have disturbed you, Kenshin. I shouldn't have…..but….I……" She couldn't finish her sentence.

Kenshin smiled. "It's alright, Miss Karou. It's not any big deal at all, that it isn't. I wasn't even asleep."

Karou nodded, then looked about the room.

It was almost identical to her own, except there was a fireplace, with a burning fire in it.

She somewhat wished her room had one.

"Why _are _you awake anyway? You're usually well asleep by now. I was worried you wouldn't answer the door."

Kenshin sighed.

"Well…..believe it or not, I couldn't seem to get any sleep in this huge room…..with it so dark and all. Things just start getting, well, creepy. I'm used to it back at your dojo, so I feel safe there, that I do, but I've never been here before, and so it's different. Do you know what I mean?"

Kenshin was trying to referee to Karou's own problems.

Karou knew that.

"Yes…..I do know what you mean. But….Kenshin…..can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"Of course."

Karou hesitated for a moment.

"Did….you by any chance….see……a shadow?"

Kenshin thought for a moment.

"No….not really, but I did find it pretty frightening!"

Karou blinked in surprise.

"Are you saying….that you're afraid of the dark?"

Kenshin laughed a bit.

"Is it so hard to believe? But…yes! Actually, I'm pretty ashamed of that fear! That must take a lot of time to get through to you, huh?"

Karou felt so relieved, and she smiled for the first time all that night.

"Not at all! I'm afraid too. Very afraid. So afraid I couldn't stay in my cold, dark room anymore. That's why I came up here looking so scared."

Kenshin blinked. He hadn't expected Karou to open up to him…..not after what had happened earlier.

"But, Miss Karou? Why did you come to me? Yahiko, or Sanoske would have been easier to get to, or Miss Misao perhaps."

Karou blushed a bit.

"Well…..the truth about that is….I hadn't thought of them at all. When I was laying there in my room, trying to not be scared….but knowing that I was, and I saw the shadow rush a crossed the wall, and the grandfather clock, and my mirror…..all I could picture….and the only person I could think of that could make me feel safe again…….was……you."

Kenshin faintly blushed. Karou had never said something like that to him before.

"I….make you feel safe?" He stuttered, his blush coming more darker.

Karou smiled a bit.

"Well, yes. I don't know why….but….I….."

"Thank you." Kenshin didn't mean to interrupt her, but he couldn't keep those words in any longer.

Kenshin smiled at her very broadly, and suddenly, Karou remembered how she hadn't even said "thank you" to Kenshin yet….for all his help, for her new dress,……. for anything!

"Kenshin…." She found herself unable to say a word as she saw him smile so brightly.

Did he know what she had wanted to say to him?

Did he?

Maybe he did.

She had no clue.

All she could do though was smile back.

The memory of the shadow went away.

After a while and smiling, Kenshin finally said something.

"Well, until your fear goes away, Miss Karou, you can stay up here with me, that you can. But….I don't think I could blow out that fire and not be scared!" He explained.

"That's alright……I'm not tired anymore anyway. We can just stay up for a while….and then I'll go back to my room." She stated.

Kenshin nodded, and the two sat down in front of the fire in the fireplace.

Outside Kenshin's door…..the shadow of a man appeared from deep down the hallway.

His fists were clutched and he wore an angry look on his face.

"Damn it." He cursed as he glared at Kenshin's door.

"I'll just wait until that Kamiya girl comes out and back to her room……and then……well…..wouldn't wanna spoil it for anyone." He whispered to himself with a smirk.

~Ohhhhh, scary!! Well, it's gonna get even better! Hehehe! Please don't stop! Keep on reading my friends! Lalalala!! Hehehehe!!!~

~Smile B~


	7. Chapter Seven Carried away by a shadow ...

~Chapter Seven- Carried away by a shadow of pure hatred.~

"So….Kenshin…..what have you been doing up here all night?" Karou spoke very softly.

She could hardly believe that Kenshin let her stay with her in his room for a while until she felt safe enough to go back to her own room!

It shocked her….and made her feel so cared for at the same time.

The fire Kenshin had made in the beautiful fireplace was warm and comforting, and because no other light was on in that room except for the fire's glow, it set a perfect gleam into the atmosphere.

Kenshin took a moment to reply to Karou's question.

"Well…..since I couldn't get a wink of sleep, I just decided to make the fireplace useful, and sit here for a while, until I was much too tired to stay awake. That's what I was planning on anyway. I hadn't even remotely expected that you would come to my room, Miss Karou, that I did not!"

He explained.

"So…it was a bad thing to come to you?" Karou suddenly got the feeling that she was somewhat of a burden, but then she felt Kenshin's hand on her shoulder.

She couldn't help to look to his face.

He smiled.

"Not at all! It wasn't bad. Not one bit. I'm……glad that you came to me, Miss Karou. Even if there was no real danger, and it was just your imagination at work in that dark room of yours, I can't help but feel the erg to keep you safe from that darkness." He blushed.

His hand remained settled on her shoulder for a long moment.

Kenshin soft smile was so loving, as it always was, but tonight, Karou noticed something different in his eyes.

She saw complete happiness in them.

She, herself, knew that she was happy that he had let her stay….but….she had no idea, that he would come out and say the things he had just spoken to her.

She smiled back at him, and he finally let his hand come back to his lap after a while.

The two just stared at the fire burning in front of them then.

There was nothing _to _be said really.

Those moments….were just too precious to waste on words.

Karou felt so comforted inside.

She wanted to just fall to Kenshin's side and stay there.

She imagined herself falling asleep in his arms, as he watched over her, like a guardian angel of some sort.

__

Her guardian angel.

Suddenly, the grandfather clock in Kenshin's room boomed out a loud 2 bells, signaling that it was now 2:00 in the morning.

After the bell faded into the background, Kenshin sighed.

"Well….Miss Karou…..I think I should bring you back to your room now, that I should. It's getting rather late, and we'll be doing many things tomorrow, that I'm sure of." He stated.

Karou felt her stomach suddenly drop and her calmness as well.

She looked to Kenshin with a "please, no, I don't want to" expression.

Kenshin knew that she didn't want to be alone again.

But he knew what was best for her. He felt almost responsible for her well being!!

"Miss Karou….I'm sorry. But…..you need your rest, that you do." He tried to say it sternly, but wasn't very good at it.

All the same, Karou understood, and stood up.

"……..alright, Kenshin. I……understand. But……will you walk me?"

Kenshin smiled.

"Of course."

As he stood up with her, and walked with her to the door, and even if he was walking with her to her room, she couldn't help but feel the fear returning.

She knew she saw that shadow….and it wasn't all in her head.

Kenshin opened his door, and motioned for her to step out first.

"No…..you go first. I'd rather be behind you." She stuttered, much fear in her voice.

Kenshin understood.

"It's okay, Miss Karou, that it is. I'll be there to walk you to your room the whole way, and there will be nothing to fear, alright?"

Karou nodded, and cautiously followed Kenshin into the dark hallway, into the shadowed places she had tried so hard to escape from only a half an hour before.

As the light of the fireplace in Kenshin's room vanished, and darkness fall upon her form again, Karou tried to ignore the horrid feeling coming back to her….as if she were being stocked by something or something in the shadows surrounding her.

At one point, Kenshin couldn't be seen in front of her, and she felt completely certain that something was behind her.

"Kenshin!!! Wait! Please wait for me!" She cried softly as she ran forward.

She finally bumped into Kenshin, and she could see his face looking back at hers.

"It's alright. It's just the dark. If there was a light on, you'd be perfectly fine, that you would. Don't worry."

He placed his hand over her for a moment.

Karou knew he was trying to make her feel at ease…..but how could she was the looming feeling that something was trying to get her!

Nevertheless, she continued on behind Kenshin, making sure to stay right up against him…so she wouldn't get lost in that murky hallway.

They finally reached the staircase, and Kenshin took one step down and reached up for Karou's hand.

"Be careful. It's so dark, you could fall!" He explained.

Karou felt a little better then….knowing and finally realizing that Kenshin was there with her. 

Nothing could get her when she was with him.

But then, as the two reached the bottom of the staircase, and he let go of her hand, she realized something else.

When he left her to return to his room…..she would be all alone again, and anything could get her again, just like before!

It was true that if he was there with her, she felt completely sure hat nothing could harm her, but when he left again, she would be unable to withstand that darkness!!

She grabbed Kenshin's hand again and held it tightly.

"Kenshin…please….let me stay with you." Her voice was trembling, and so was her hand tightly grasping his.

Kenshin turned around once more and was shocked by the look he barley saw in the shadows.

He saw her eyes filling with tears….tears of fear.

"Miss Karou……why are you so afraid? Please, tell me." He insisted in worry.

Karou wanted to tell him. She had to tell him, but the fear was conquering her.

"Be…..cause………be….cause…..I……I don't know……….I….."

Kenshin looked away from her.

He didn't want to, but he had to.

"Miss Karou….I know you're afraid, but there's nothing to be afraid _of_. Miss Misao, Sano, and Yahiko aren't afraid, and even though I am afraid of the darkness as well….I'm not as afraid as you are. If you refuse to tell me why you're so troubled by these shadows, then please, don't speak of it anymore." He said this with so much firmness in his voice, it just about killed Karou.

It was as if she were being punished for something she had done wrong by a father…..and she was the foolish little girl, afraid of her own shadow.

She let go of Kenshin's hand then, and brought it to her side.

She stared at the ground.

The bottom lip quivered like a child's, and yet, she felt so sure that she was still 18 years old.

She didn't look back at Kenshin.

She was about to say something with his name…..but she almost felt compelled to even say "Kenshin". It was almost out of disrespect!

So she decided, to use something else to refer to him as.

"I…..I'm sorry, I'm such a foolish child……Mr. Himura." She whispered, just enough that he could hear her clearly.

His eyes widened when he heard his name as if some little child had spoken to him…..like she had just met him, and she knew nothing about him. Like he was the elder, and she was to obey.

He turned to her with a hurt look on his face.

Had he really set himself _that _sternly.

Karou refused to look at him, and he could understand why.

He started to move forward, and Karou walked slowly after him.

*I'm getting so sick and tired of waiting for this annoyingly slow girl to get back to her room, and be left alone once more by Mr. Himura!!! Enough with this foolishness! It's now or never, Miss Kamiya!!!!* The man in the shadows far behind Karou thought angrily.

He had been following them ever since he had seen Kenshin take Karou out of his room.

He started to come closer and closer to Karou's back.

Karou was so far behind Kenshin now….that he could easily grab her and pull her away quickly enough that Kenshin wouldn't notice a thing!

Karou still held her head down, when she saw on the floor beneath her, a shadow quickly pass.

Her eyes widened, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

Kenshin heard Karou's soft footsteps behind him vanish, and he turned around.

He saw Karou dead still about 10 feet away from him.

She lifted her head and saw Kenshin stared back at her, with concern for why she was acting so strangely in his eyes.

Her eyes were completely wide…..and she was too afraid to move an inch.

"What……does it want with me?" She stuttered with much fear in her voice.

Suddenly, with a flash of shadows, two pairs of hands grabbed Karou's mouth, and pulled her into the darkness.

She was able to get a terrified scream out before the shadow's hand tightened over her lips.

Kenshin's mouth dropped.

It took him well over a second to realize what had just happened.

"……..MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried as she rushed into the direction that the shadow had pulled her into.

He was quick enough to see a secret door in the hallway wall shut.

He rushed to that wall, and hit it with his fists.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed, pounding harder on the wall.

No one replied.

~AHHHHH!!!!!! KENSHIN SAVE KAROU!!!!! Well, not that this has happened, YOU HAVE YO KEEP READING!!! FOR KAROU'S SAKE!!!! HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!~

~Smile B~


	8. Chapter Eight That fear was washed away...

~Chapter Eight-That fear was washed away when you appeared from the shadows, and allowed me to run to your open arms~

Karou suddenly found herself in a darkened hallway again….only this time, it was a different hallway…..one she hadn't seen before!

There were no doors leading into different rooms…..and there were no hall lights!!!

It was just a plain hallway, going in both directions. No pictures on the walls or anything! 

Karou spun around, searching for the man that had pulled her into that hallway somehow….but she saw no one anywhere around her.

She felt so terrified.

Her whole body trembled with fear, as she tried to push against the walls, seeing if the trap door she believed she had gone through, would open and take her back to her original hallway, but to no avail.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She heard Kenshin's voice scream from the other side of the wall she stood in front of.

Her eyes widened.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!! OH KENSHIN, PLEASE, GET ME BACK!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried out with fear and panic all in her voice.

Kenshin heard her cry, and pounded on the wall again.

"I CAN'T GET THROUGH THE WALL!!!!!!!!! MISS KAROU, TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!!!!!!! MAYBE I CAN FIND YOU!!!!" He yelled to her.

Karou looked around her once again.

She started crying suddenly, the terror too much for her.

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM, KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!! IT'S JUST A BLANK HALLWAY!!! I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE…….I'M SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried.

Kenshin heard the fright in her voice, and he knew she was crying heavily.

"THEN……LISTEN! I'LL GET YOU BACK HERE! DON'T WORRY! PLEASE, LISTEN TO EVERY WORD I TELL YOU, UNDERSTOOD?!" He exclaimed.

Karou replied with a "Okay….please hurry", and then stayed completely silent.

"ALRIGHT……HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO……YOU'RE FACING THIS WALL……SO…….GO DOWN THE HALLWAY TO YOUR RIGHT! THAT DIRECTION SHOULD LEAD YOU TO THE STAIRCASE AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO STAIRWAYS DOWN TO YOUR LEFT! I'LL MEET YOU AT THE OTHER END OF THE HALL, OKAY?" He shouted out every instruction as clearly as possible.

"YES…….ALRIGHT. PLEASE…..WILL YOUR FIND ME?" Her voice cracked with her tears.

"YES…..I'LL DO ALL I CAN DO." He stated.

As Kenshin's voice faded into the wall in front of her again, Karou heard the soft footsteps of someone walking towards her from her left hand side.

"MISS KAROU?" Kenshin questioned the wall.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PLEASE GET AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He heard her scream at that next instant……and suddenly, a knife split through the wall, and pocked out on the other side, where Kenshin stood in shock and horror.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN TO WHERE I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried.

Karou had barley dodged the man's thrust of the knife, and after hearing Kenshin's scream, she stood up and ran down the hallway to her right, as fast as she could, her bare feet pounding on the floor as she went.

She could hear the man right behind her, running, barley reaching her!!

"PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed in terror to the person behind her.

Kenshin continued to hear her cries, and rushed down the hallway in the same direction he knew Karou was running in.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU THERE???????!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted to her once more, his breathing quickening.

No one replied.

No one.

He hit the wall hard with his fist again as her ran up against it, and realized something.

*This part of the hallway walls have been sound proven! No one will save Karou now…..except for me. I have to!!!!!!!!!!* He exclaimed to himself in thought.

Kenshin ran and ran, and finally found the staircase.

He started to panic for a moment, thinking of how Karou might have already been killed!!!

That thought destroyed him inside.

"No!!!! I can't think that way!!!!!!!! I have to find her!!!!!!!!! I will!!!!!!!!!!" He reassured himself.

Suddenly, he noticed an open passageway underneath the staircase leading up to his hallway.

He jumped through it and found himself in pitch blackness.

He looked around for a moment, and suddenly heard Karou's scream from far in front of him!!!

"Karou….." He whispered to himself with worry and terror in his tone, and then jumped up and ran into the darkness…..not knowing what he was going to find once he reached Karou again.

~With Karou~

Karou's feet pounded the ground below her as she continued running.

Suddenly, the man's hand grabbed her leg and knocked her to the ground!!!

She turned around and saw the terrifying face of the man that had been chasing her, the knife tightly clutched in between his fingers.

Karou's eyes filled with fear, more fear then before.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T LET HIM KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU………." She sobbed with sadness and fright.

She was somehow able to kick the man back then, but in doing so, the knife sliced across the back of her right leg sharply!!!!!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed, the tears falling, completely covering her face.

Despite her injury, she jumped up and ran faster then she had ever run before!!! All she wanted to was to be safe. She wanted Kenshin.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried one more time, her throat so sore from screaming that it was hors now.

Slowly, a form appeared in front of her, and she stopped dead in her tracks, thinking that the man had found a way to get around her….or maybe the man had another guy to help him kill her!!!!

She backed away, and she could hear the man behind her running. Coming closer and closer.

She put her hands over her mouth…..and started trembling so badly.

Where was she to run!? Where was she to hide???!!!

Suddenly though, out of the shadows……the form in front of her slowly appeared.

It was Kenshin!!!!!!!

He stopped about 15 feet away from her…….the look on his face was indescribable. It was filled with fear, and yet…..suddenly was changed to relief.

Karou heard the man behind her coming closer, he was inches away, and Kenshin, only feet away from her.

She stared at Kenshin for a moment.

Gradually, and shockingly…..Karou saw tears covering his face.

He opened his arms to her then, slowly, until they were wide open for her.

Karou saw him….the only man she knew she cared most for……shedding tears for her for the first time…..scared for her……and relieved to find her!!!

Suddenly, Karou's heart leapt from it's place, and she picked up her feet, running to him with full power.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.

She reached him, and fell into his open arms…..crying hysterically into his chest.

Kenshin wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could, and swore to himself he wouldn't let go for anything!!!

"I'M SO GLAD YOU FOUND ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried.

Kenshin held her as best he could.

Gradually, he watched as the man that had been after Karou, appear in front of him from the shadows.

He felt hatred fill his senses.

"You………TELL ME NOW! WHY!!!!!!!!!!???????? WHY WERE YOU PURSUING MISS KAROU'S LIFE???!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted with anger.

His eyes were becoming more rage-filled.

The man smirked in front of him.

"Is that any of your business, Battosai?" The man chuckled.

Kenshin glared.

"You know who I am? But how? I don't know you."

The man pushed the knife that stayed tightly grasped in his hands into a little pouch on his hip, and then bared his teeth, possibly trying to laugh.

"Ah….Mr. Himura……..let's just say…..a little birdy told me." He sniggered, and began to turn away.

"Kenshin……it hurts." Karou's tired voice spoke quietly.

Kenshin looked down and saw her right leg covered with blood, a pool already forming below their feet.

He wanted to hurt that man then.

Hurt him worse then he thought he could without killing.

He took Karou and pushed her to his side.

The man smirked.

"Ah, yes! I had forgotten I almost had her that time…..but that little bitch got away from me before I could go further damage. Next time……she won't be so lucky."

Kenshin's fists tightened.

Karou couldn't stand any longer, and she fell to the floor, her leg bleeding even more.

She stared at Kenshin's expression, changing as he listened to the man speak of horrid things.

"Isn't it just so strange, Mr. Himura…..how this was all planned out so that no one would interfere with Miss Kamiya's death….and yet, you managed to break our rules and come to her rescue before it was too late. How rude of you to get in the way like that. Obviously, we'll need to get rid of _you _before we do anything with _her_. Pity though…..I was planning on having a bit of fun tonight with her…..but ah well."

Kenshin couldn't hold in his anger any longer.

He tightened his right fist, and struck the man in the face as hard as he could.

The man fell to the floor.

Kenshin stood over him.

He somewhat wished he hadn't have taken off his sword for the night, but it was just fine all the same.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on Miss Karou again, do I make myself clear?" He tuned with much hatred.

The man stood to his feet and held his face.

"Heh…..how foolish of you, Battosai. You will pay dearly for that strike that you somehow got perfectly planted onto my face." He began to walk away.

"Miss Kamiya's life…..belongs to _us_. By this time tomorrow…..she'll be as good as dead, no matter what you say."

The man's form disappeared into the shadows once again, and he was gone in an instant.

Kenshin didn't want to go after him.

He was sick and tired of looking at his face.

He knew when to give it up.

The soft whimpers of Karou interrupted his hatful glare into the dark.

He quickly changed his expression, and turned around.

Karou held her face in her hands, and cried.

She cried freely, finally able to do so, now capable of controlling her breathing again.

He could hear a grandfather clock somewhere in another hallway, strike 3:30 a.m.

He walked over to Karou's form, and picked her up.

She was so weak from all her screaming and running, she couldn't walk herself…and especially not with her injury.

She laid her head down on his should and just cried.

Kenshin knew that if he left her alone in her room _then_…..she wouldn't be safe, even though he knew the people who were trying to kill her were most likely done for the night.

He decided to take her back to his room, and keep her there.

He found the secret passage once more, and came out into the normal hallway again.

He walked up the staircase, and up to his room.

He opened the door, and found that the fire was almost burnt out….small coals were still red, and it put a tiny glaze into the room, enough light for him to see where he was going.

He walked over to his bed, and set her down.

He knew that the bathroom connected to his room would have some bandage in it, and so he went off to find some.

Karou just sat there, so tired, so worn out, her leg hurting so bad, her feet as well from all the running around with her bare feet.

She couldn't talk very loudly, and so she kept quiet.

She just stared at her hands in her lap.

One of her tears fell to her hands, and then another.

They were just falling, she wasn't controlling them anymore.

She made no whimpers though….and no such sound at all.

She opened her hands and stared into them.

Was it her fault?

Her bottom lip quivered slightly.

Her hands were so tired they couldn't move.

Then Kenshin's hand appeared in her own.

"Are you alright, Miss Karou?" His voice sounded so worn out as well, but it was still the same as it always was.

The voice she always waited to hear.

The nodded slowly.

"Give me your leg." He hummed.

She lifted her right leg, covered with blood, and stayed perfectly still as Kenshin cleaned it and wrapped it up with bandage.

He gave her a tissue then, and she whipped her remaining tears away.

He then picked her up again, and set her down on the bed, her head on the soft pillow.

He pulled the covers up to her chest, and smiled down at her.

"Miss Karou….I'm sorry….for not paying more attention to your words. You….were so frightened…..and I just…..didn't think that such a thing would happen. I'll make sure to get to the bottom of everything tomorrow….but for now let's get some sleep. We haven't woken anyone up….oddly, and I don't think we should at the moment. It's too early in the morning. But please…..get some rest. I will be right here if you need anything. You don't have to be afraid anymore. When the coals die away, and the room becomes dark….I will still be here. I promise I won't go away."

He put his hand on her cheek.

Unable to say anything, unable to move, unable to make a sound, she just stared up at his face, into his eyes.

His hand was so warm on her cheek.

She managed to reach up and put her own hand over his on her cheek.

"K……Kenshin……" She spoke quietly.

"Yes?" He replied.

"T…thank you…….for….."

"I know."

He interrupted.

She was stunned.

*All this time…he's known what I've wanted to say to him!* She exclaimed in thought.

"You are really the most wonderful person that ever lived……" She whispered, and without even realizing she had said such a thing, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

He blinked for a moment, wording out in his head what she had just whispered to him before losing herself in sleep.

He blushed a dark red.

"That's not true……." He stated to her dimly lighted face.

She looked so peaceful, his hand still laid softly over her cheek, and her hand laid over his.

"Apparently…..you believe that foolishness, that you do, Miss Karou."

He removed his hand, and sat down beside the bed.

He leaned up against the side of the bed, and soon….he found himself just as tired as she, and finally found slumber in those concluding hours of the night.

~Hi Hi!!! Awwww, that's sooooo sweet!!! Yes!!! Of course there's more!!! Keep on reading, to find out what happens next! Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!~

~Smile B~


	9. Chapter Nine Sunshine once again

~Chapter Nine- Sunshine once again~

"Karou……"

Karou could hear her name being called to her from where she lay.

She looked up and thought she saw the darkness trying to take her away once again…..but then she saw Kenshin.

He made that darkness turn into light.

He turned to her and smiled his wonderful smile.

"Karou….." He said.

The "miss" part was absent.

It was just her name alone…..signifying that he took her as more then just another woman that was his good friend……she was something more important then that to him when he called her by her real, true name, standing alone on his breath.

She smiled.

"Ken….shin………" She spoke softly back to him.

He nodded, and light surrounded him, until there was so much light…….

Karou slowly opened her eyes.

Sunlight fell over her face gently….almost as gently as Kenshin's hand had laid there the night before.

It didn't occur to her what had happened hours before…..or why her leg was somewhat in pain still.

She looked around the room with her eyes slowly.

The grandfather clock read 15 minutes past 10:00 a.m.

The first thing she knew was that she was in Kenshin's room, because she saw his reverse blade sword laying on the other side of the large bed.

But……no Kenshin in sight!

She quickly sat up and grasped the bedding with her hands.

She searched the room high and low.

"…….K……Kenshin?" She questioned the quiet air.

She tried to remember what had happened last night, and like a lightening bolt, it came back to her!!

She was suddenly fearful to be all alone in that room.

But then she also remembered where Kenshin had slept last night.

She looked to her right…..and there, his head rested contently on the side of the bed, was her hero.

She felt so much better once she found him still there with her…asleep still.

The late hours the two had been up were too much for them…and so obviously, they were both tired.

As she recalled everything once again that had occurred last night….she looked to Kenshin again.

His sleeping face.

He had protected her with his life from the man with the knife.

She was so happy suddenly.

She felt tears come to her eyes.

She jumped out of bed quickly, and fell to her knees on the floor in front of Kenshin's sleeping form.

"Oh…..Kenshin. Thank you!!!!!!!" She said, trying to not to be too loud.

She wrapped her arms around him, and held him softly.

As she did so, Kenshin slowly awoke in her arms.

He blinked a few times, letting the sunshine fill his senses, and then found Karou holding him gently, slightly sobbing.

"Ka….Karou?" He questioned.

Her eyes widened, and she sat back quickly, blushing as red as ever.

"I….I'm…sorry. I was just so happy….because I remembered that you saved me….and I was…..I….and…..you see…..wait!……….what did you call me?" She suddenly realized how Kenshin had said her name!!!!!

It had been….without the sign of respect…..the "miss" was absent!!!!

It was how he had said her name in her dream as had recently awoken from!!!!

She stared in shock, wondering if it had just been a mistake of hearing.

Kenshin realized what he had let slip out as well…..but having woken up to Karou's warm embrace…how could he have placed that sign of respect on her name…..when he knew she was so much more to him then just another "miss"!!!

He looked away from her and started turned red.

"………I……I'm sorry, _Miss _Karou, that I am. I must have…..being so tired as I was……forgotten to put the respect in your name. Forgive me."

He lowered his head.

Karou figured that Kenshin got the impression that she was shocked and angry that he hadn't used to respect sign…when she was in truth…more then happy that he had forgotten it. She had never once considered though….simply telling him to not call her by "miss" any longer. She had never done anything about it….and continued to let him call her that, even though….she knew in her heart he was so much more.

Could she tell him now? After all that time wasted on that little "miss" thing.

She forced a smile on her lips.

"It…..it's……perfectly……fine! _More _then perfectly fine! I don't object at all……."

She was silenced by his stare at her.

He stared.

He just stared….but it wasn't an irritating stare…or an embarrassing stare….it was……a lost somewhere else stare….and his eyes seemed to be focused on her alone.

Karou was so confused suddenly.

"Kenshin? Are you alright?" She questioned.

He blinked the stare away…and smiled as he looked to the floor.

"Just fine." Was all he said.

Karou's heart pounded.

She made herself turn away and find another topic to speak of.

She stood up and suddenly felt the pain in her leg return!!!

"Ahhh!!!" She fell back to her knees again.

"Miss Karou!!! Your leg…it still must be in a lot of pain…..I was hoping it would have gotten better by now." Kenshin stated with concern in his voice.

Karou pulled up her kimono gown and looked at her leg.

She seemed to be a little happy, the way she stared at the bandaging.

"What's the matter?" Kenshin wondered aloud.

Karou smiled.

"It's hard to believe….but I can hardly remember a thing that happened last night…..after…..you carried me back to your room."

Kenshin nodded.

"You were so exhausted….and so worn out. That horrible man chased you down…..and you fled for your life…..with every last ounce of energy that you had left in you. Miss Karou…..tell me…..why did you try so hard to run? To run and not stop at all?"

Karou's fists tightened as she remembered the night before.

"I ran….and I ran…..and the only thing I could think about…and the only thing that kept me running on…..was to find you. I had to find you! That wish to stay alive…..and find you again……kept me running on and on. And the truth of it all is……I was so happy……so happy……..to have found you finally…..and…..for you to….take care of that man like you did……and……treat me so kindly. I wished so badly for you to…….to………" She stopped herself without thinking.

She felt so lost in her words, like she was revealing too much for her own good, but in another minute, she couldn't believe what Kenshin had done.

He slowly placed his hand onto hers.

"It's alright…..you can tell me."

She looked up at him slowly

He was smiling, of course.

But as she opened her mouth to speak her mind to the beautiful man in front of her, the door suddenly opened on the other side of the room!!!

"KENSHIN!!!!! KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!" Yahiko shouted into the room.

Kenshin's hand pulled away from Karou's quickly.

Yahiko ran to the other side of the bed, and stared down at the two on the floor.

Karou, in her nightgown, and Kenshin, in his nightclothes as well, his hair down over his shoulders, and Karou's in a messed up brain down her shoulder, looked up at the boy as if they had been caught in the middle of something horrible….even though they hadn't been doing anything at all!

Yahiko raised an eye-brow.

"Oh my god!!! What is going on here???!!!! Sanoske, Misao, and I have been looking ALL OVER the mansion for you two!!!! We thought you guys had gone somewhere or something together….like a walk, and so we didn't bother looking for you until just a half an hour ago…..and I find you two up here dressed in your nightclothes still, on the floor……IN KENSHIN'S ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T EVEN WANNA THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU TWO HAVE BEEN DOING!!!!!!!"

Karou and Kenshin stared up at Yahiko, then looked at themselves, then turned away from each other quickly, realizing what Yahiko was talking about!

Kenshin laughed a little bit and stood up.

"It's not that at all, Yahiko!!! Really!! Miss Karou just…..ummm, well…….she came up her to wake me up a while ago….after she…um…..woke up and came up here…..and I was sleeping too late….and we were just talking, and ummm, yeah! It's the truth! Don't you believe me??!!" He was started to sound like he _had _done something horrible with Karou!!

Yahiko smirked slyly.

"Sure…..I believe you, Kenshin. Hahahahaha! Yeah right!!! Wooohoo!!!"

Kenshin dropped to the ground and just laid there with a "I'm-giving-up" look on his face.

Karou stood up and glared at Yahiko in a serious way.

"Yahiko…..go outside! We'll be there in a minute!" The way she said this made Yahiko feel like he was being punished.

He turned away from the two and headed towards the door.

"Fine…" He complained, and shut the door behind him.

Karou sighed, and looked to Kenshin.

"Why…didn't you tell him what happened last night?" She wondered aloud.

Kenshin looked up at her.

"If it's not a big deal, Miss Karou…..I think we should keep what happened last night to ourselves for a little….just in case. We'll go and talk to Mr. Orasumi though after we get dressed, alright?"

Karou looked away from him.

"Alright." She said softly.

She took one step away from Kenshin, and was about to head out the door to return to her quarters….but Kenshin grabbed her arm quickly.

She stopped in her tracks.

Kenshin's hand slowly traced down into her hand…and folded together.

His touch was so gentle.

She turned and looked over her shoulder at him, her heart pounding harder and harder in her chest.

He stared back at her, his eyes fixed into hers.

His cheeks flushed like crazy.

"Please be careful…Miss Karou. Even if it's daytime now……that man and his group can get you just as easily in the light as they can in the dark. Please come and find me as soon as you're done getting dressed. Meet me downstairs, okay?" He explained.

Karou stared back at him for a while.

"Why are you so worried about me? I'll be fine, Kenshin. Really…." She tried to make him stop worrying. It was too odd for him to worry about her so much like that!

"Please…just this once…..do as I say, Miss Karou?" Kenshin enforced.

Karou blinked a little bit.

"Yes….." She said stiffly, and pulled her hand out of Kenshin's with a bit of force.

She didn't turn back around, and she opened his door, and shut it behind her, as if she was angry with him or something.

His hand was still opened, held out from when she had pulled away from him so quickly.

For the first time in his life…he somehow wanted her to come back and hold his hand once again.

He'd never wished that before.

His hand finally closed after a while, and he brought it to his side.

He stood in his room for a while, and then went to go get dressed.

~Awwww, poor Kenshin!!!! I feel sorry for him, don't you??? Keep on reading!~

~Smile B~


	10. Chapter Ten A secret hatred…and a secre...

~Chapter Ten- A secret hatred….and a secret love~

Karou stepped out of her room with a lovely purple kimono on…..one of her own she had packed away with her for this trip that was turning out to be horrible all of a sudden.

Yahiko leaned against the walls of the hallway outside Karou's door.

When he saw her walk out….with somewhat of a saddened look on her face, he worried a little for her.

"Hey Karou? I know I'm just a kid….but, mind telling me what's been bothering you? I mean…ever since yesterday, you've looked as if everything's going the worst….when it's not! Please tell me what's wrong!" He tired to convince her.

Karou only smiled weakly down at little Yahiko.

"Yahiko….I'm sorry….but….I'm really fine. It's alright. Please, don't pay any mind to the way I'm acting. Just worry about having fun here, ok?" She said softly, as she placed a hand on his cheek.

Yahiko blinked in shock! Karou was acting WAY too nice to him for a change!!!!

Nevertheless though….he somehow knew to keep is mouth shut form then on, because the look Karou gave him told him she couldn't explain whatever was troubling her so much.

"It's Kenshin….isn't it?" He said as he looked up at her with a sad expression.

Karou stared at the boy…who seemed so much wiser then a 10 year old should.

"Kenshin…." She said in a whisper.

Yahiko could see the pain building up behind Karou's protective wall.

Karou blinked a little….then knelt down and hugged Yahiko.

Yahiko just stood there for a moment, then returned her hug.

"But why?" He questioned.

Karou softly pulled out of the embrace and stood to her feet again.

She stared off into some other world Yahiko couldn't see.

"Why? Because…..Kenshin will never care about me the way I do for him…..because he treats me like a little child, who knows nothing…and who can't protect herself from the simplest of things." She turned away from that other world she was staring off to…and then began to walk past Yahiko.

The boy had nothing to say.

He didn't know how to help her suffering.

*Kenshin…..I don't understand you! Shouldn't you…..shouldn't you…..love Karou??!! You seem to always protect her…you seem to always be happy when she's around……and yet….you show no such feelings that Karou shows!!! I just don't understand……I just don't.* He told himself in thought as he stood there in the hallway for a while….puzzling over the matter.

~With Karou~

Karou walked down the staircase slowly.

What she had said to Yahiko the moment before had been completely unexpected!

She didn't know that she thought such things….until she actually spoke them aloud to someone!!!

It felt so empty again….as if Kenshin had died or something!!

But then….she remembered where she was to meet him…and there he stood.

At the bottom of the staircase, was were he awaited her.

She tried to make little sound as she walked down the stairs, but it was no use….for he heard her soft footsteps approaching him, and he turned around, the way he normally did, and stared up at her.

Karou tried to then avoid eye contact….but to her utmost astonishment….the look Kenshin gave her wasn't his normal gentle smile!!!

It was so different!

It was a look she had never in her whole life of knowing him….seen before!

It was a mixture of sadness…and longing in there as well…..and a happy look, but a disappointed look too!!! It was such a confusing expression…and she never knew a person could make such a face!

And all the more saddening….she turned away from the look.

She didn't want to see it.

She didn't understand it…and that's why she refused to face it, blue eyes to violet eyes.

She walked down and stood beside him.

Their shoulders touched.

Kenshin said nothing, and began to walk across the room, and into another….and of course, Karou followed.

He took her to the other side of the mansion, then into some sort of an office.

There, it seemed like a huge library….and Karou felt somewhat lost…but Kenshin continued walking.

He led her to the back of the office, where a small flight of stairs led up to a loft room near the ceiling.

Karou then realized that everything here was Mr. Orasumi's office, and where he worked most of the time…and where they were headed was his main desk of working!!

Kenshin climbed the stairs, and once he reached the top, he looked back down at her.

His expression had changed.

It was just a still look.

It read nothing.

He blinked a few times, a raised his right eyes brow at her!!

It was almost as if he was some sort of teacher…and she was the student…being taken to some sort of detention room!!!!

It just didn't seem like the Kenshin she knew at all.

She hesitated as she slowly crept up the stairs after him.

Once she got to the step before the top, she looked up at Kenshin…who was only inches away now from her.

She stared at him.

All she wanted to do was run away.

Her bottom lip quivered as she stared at her feet.

"Karou…." He said in a voice that didn't match his face.

She looked up at him, and he gave her the expression she hadn't seen before on a person's face.

"Come on. We need to talk to Mr. Orasumi now….before the others start suspecting things." He explained.

Karou took a moment to reply, but then she only nodded, and stepped up the final step, and Kenshin knocked on the door that laid between them and the inside of the loft room….where Mr. Orasumi sat in his desk, doing important counting.

"Come in." His old voice was heard from inside, and Kenshin twisted the doorknob and walked in slowly.

The look on Mr. Orasumi's face showed pure joy when he didn't see Karou walk in with Kenshin as well.

"Oh….has something happened to Miss Kamiya?" He questioned. In his mind…he thought that Karou had already been taken care of the previous night by the men he had assigned to do his dirty work.

But then, to his utmost anger and shock, Karou stepped into the room as well through the door, and stood behind Kenshin.

"No…Mr. Orasumi. I'm here." She hesitantly said in a quiet tone.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

Kenshin somehow read the old man's face, and he began to suspect Mr. Orasumi was behind the crime that had almost been complete the night before….but before he could start saying something, Mr. Orasumi covered his disappointment up with a happy smile.

"Oh well! That's wonderful. I had been worried…..quite worried, because you and Mr. Himura were not up for the breakfast I preformed for your friends! But now that I know you both are safe, I am very relieved." He said in a joyful voice.

Kenshin's suspicions were set aside then.

*I shouldn't start in blaming people as honest as Mr. Orasumi….or else I'll be led down the wrong path! I must stay focused, no matter how much I wish I find whoever wants Karou's life, and stop them for good.* He thought to himself.

"So…Mr. Himura, Miss Kamiya? What brings you to my office? It's a beautiful day out today…and you should be out enjoying the warm summer day on this vacation of yours! There's no reason to stay indoors on such a fine day as this!" Mr. Orasumi motioned towards his window on the side of the loft room, and smiled.

Karou walked to the window, and stared out at the blue sky.

She looked down and saw Misao and Yahiko running towards the forest, laughing, and carrying what looked to be swim outfits.

They were no doubt headed towards the lake to swim.

Kenshin watched Karou for a moment, then turned back to Mr. Orasumi.

"Well…..actually…..we're here because….last night…….Miss Karou was stalked and practically run down by a man who is apart of a group, who wants to take her life." Kenshin said, trying to stay serious.

Mr. Orasumi pretended to be shocked.

"You have to be kidding me, Mr. Himura!!! Are you completely sure it wasn't just a dream!!! My mansion is heavily guarded with great security! How could a man of such low profile get into the house…let alone into Miss Kamiya's room, and try to kill her??!!" He exclaimed as he stood up from his desk, and pounded his hands on the table hard.

Kenshin turned to Karou, and she just stood there by the window….watching and listening to them.

He turned back to Mr. Orasumi.

"It wasn't a dream, that I can assure you, Mr. Orasumi. What happened last night was all too real. Miss Karou was even severely injured because of this incident!" Kenshin continued on.

Mr. Orasumi turned to Karou, and she lifted up her kimono a bit to show her right leg bandaged up, the blood stain leaking through the white wrapping and revealing how badly she had been hurt.

"Oh my!!! I can't believe this!!!! But what do you expect me to do, Mr. Himura?!!" He stated as he sat back down into his seat.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps it would be best….if I took my friends, and left here before things get worse, and Miss Karou, or someone else, is severely hurt once again…or even killed!" 

Mr. Orasumi shook her head.

"No no. You mustn't do that! Why let something get to you that can be fixed easily! Continue to stay for the remainder of your vacation…I insist. I promise you, Mr. Himura, that the group of men that are after Miss Kamiya's life…will be dead before sunrise tomorrow!" He proclaimed.

Kenshin stood there for a moment…then sighed.

"Very well. But…..what about for the rest of today…and tonight as well? Miss Karou could be killed at any place at any moment…..what will you do to protect her?" Kenshin continued.

Mr. Orasumi stared at Karou, who stared back at him.

As she stared, she noticed a sharp look in his eye. A look of a secret hatred!!

She blinked a bit, and so did he, and then the tiny sharpness vanished.

"Ah, Mr. Himura. I have an idea. For this afternoon, she will be with you and your friends….and so I'm positive that she'll be safe. But when night falls, I'll have her entire room surrounded by the best of my guards. They were stand outside her door, and line the hallways, as well as the staircases, going up, and down. I will have the outside guarded as well…..around her window down below, and around her window up above. No one will be able to get in…and she can sleep in peace. While she's asleep, and being well protected, I will send my most trusted warriors of my protection….to seek out the group, and kill them all. By this time tomorrow….Miss Kamiya will be safe again…and all will be well again. Do we have an agreement?" He stated, as he held out his hand to Kenshin.

Kenshin looked at Karou.

Once the eye contact was made, she turned away, and looked out the window again.

"We do." He finally said, and shook hands with Mr. Orasumi.

"Well…now that that's settled, why don't you and Miss Kamiya go out and swim in the lake, or take a peaceful walk! I'll start getting ready for tonight." Mr. Orasumi explained with a grin.

Kenshin nodded, then bowed to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Orasumi. This means a lot to me." 

Mr. Orasumi nodded.

"It quite alright, Mr. Himura! Anything to keep the beautiful Miss Kamiya out of harm's way. Right, Miss Kamiya?" He turned to Karou again.

She looked into his eyes,

The sharpness was there for just a moment, then it went away again.

She lowered her head.

"Yes…Mr. Orasumi." She said timidly, then walked to the door that Kenshin held open for her.

As the door began to close, Mr. Orasumi decided to add another comment in.

"Please don't worry about a thing, you two! Just enjoy yourselves!"

As soon as the door was shut though, Mr. Orasumi exploded with anger!!!!

"Tomodiku!!!!" He yelled to a side door on the other side of the room.

The very man that had almost killed Karou the night before, stepped out and bowed to Mr. Orasumi.

"Yes? What is it, sir?" He questioned.

Mr. Orasumi stood up and glared at him.

"You fool!!!!!!!! You failed to kill the girl last night!!!!!!!!!!!!! I trusted that your power was invincible, as you said….and yet and you failed miserably!!! How dare you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cursed.

The man, now known as Tomodiku, bowed again.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Orasumi. I'll defiantly take her life tonight, I swear it. But I did managed to injure her a bit!" He stated.

Mr. Orasumi huffed a bit.

"You hardly hurt her at all! It was just a simple thrash in her leg! I thought you to do better then _that_!! A child could do better!" He continued to curse.

"Yes, but now, Mr. Orasumi, the girl can not run as well as she could last night, therefore, I'll be able to run her down much easier, if I have to." He explained.

Mr. Orasumi nodded, and sat down.

"Yes….that's true, Tomodiku. But still…..now we have two things to take care of. It's rather annoying." He pouted.

Tomodiku blinked.

"What else do my men and I have to do, Mr. Orasumi?" He wondered aloud.

Mr. Orasumi smirked a bit.

*Mr. Himura……* He thought in his mind.

~Geez!!! This dude isn't very nice, is he!!! Hehehe…keep going friends!!~

~Smile B~


	11. Chapter Eleven A peaceful summer day…bu...

~Chapter Eleven- A peaceful summer day…but then night fell.~

Karou and Kenshin walked slowly out of the library Mr. Orasumi's office had been located in, and entered the dining room, and finally the main hallway, where the front door was.

Karou stared at the ground, watching her feet as if she would just die if something was said.

Kenshin figured he'd best be silent, or else face Karou's frightening temper….but then he saw her sad expression.

"….Miss Karou?" He finally questioned.

The clock in the room ticked in the background, and the bright sun rays of the late morning fell into the room.

It was so peaceful, and yet, Karou knew that somewhere behind the walls, there was danger.

She couldn't escape.

She looked up and past Kenshin.

The clock on the wall behind him read 20 minutes to noon.

"Miss Karou?" Kenshin asked again.

Karou looked away, and then looked behind her.

She blinked, and remembered how happy Misao and Yahiko had seemed as they ran off to go swim in the near-by lake.

She pushed away her tears, and grabbed Kenshin's hand quickly, trying to not be too embarrassed to do so.

"Let's go see what Yahiko, Misao, and Sanoske are up to." She said in a small, tiny voice, her head still lowered.

Kenshin suddenly felt the feeling he had encountered that morning, when he had held Karou's hand before!

His heart beat with that rhythm once again.

"Alright. Let's get out of this house for a while." He whispered to her.

She was suddenly shocked by the way he had said that!!

She felt his hand fold into hers.

She looked up, and gave him a soft smile of relief.

Her eyes met a soft smile.

That smile….on those lips she so longed to lay hers upon.

As she fell into a trance on his smile, she instantly felt herself being pushed closer to him by his right arm.

He just stood there and held her then….not as tightly as she would have held him, but gentle in a way she never had felt before.

All her worries faded away….and all that remained was just him…and her.

The sound of the clock ticking continued, and all Karou and Kenshin did was stand there………..just stand there…….and pray to god that when they let go…..everything would be better again.

Suddenly, without even a small warning, the clock chimed out, signaling it being noon finally.

Karou and Kenshin let go almost as if they had been scared out of their wits, in fear of being seen by another!!

After the chime faded into the background again, Karou yet again took Kenshin's hand.

"I need to get my swim suit. Come with me? I don't want to be all alone up there." She smiled much more warmer then she had been before.

Kenshin returned the grin with much pleasure.

"Of course, Miss Karou! But let's hurry. Yahiko, Sanoske, and Miss Misao may not stay very long at the lake.

As they began to walk up the stairs together, hand in hand, Karou continued talking, trying to keep the conversation lively, and away from the subject of the fear that lurked in the shadows, or the embrace they had just shared.

"Well, if Yahiko, Sanoske, and Misao aren't there, we can always just stay there on our own. It's not like they'll care any. That is, if you don't mind, Kenshin." Karou stated as they entered the hallway to Karou's room.

"Not at all, Miss Karou." Kenshin said, trying hard not to let anymore unexpected feelings come over him. It was enough already that he was experiencing sudden emotions he had never felt before just that morning.

In fact, they began to return then, as Karou's hand stayed tightly cupped into his. But he forced it away with much confusion.

When finally they reached Karou's room, she stepped inside, and invited Kenshin to come with her.

Karou walked over to one of her luggage bags, and picked it up.

"I'll just be a second. You can wait here if you like." She explained as she began to head towards her bathroom.

Kenshin blinked. "Ummm…..uh……sure! Okay. I'll just wait here."

Without another word, Karou quickly went into her bathroom, and locked the door behind her.

Kenshin sat down on Karou's bed, and stared at the floor for a minute.

Then he somehow noticed the way this room felt to him.

He felt so calmed in this room.

The way everything was set up.

On the night-stand, Karou's hair-brush lay, and a cup of water she must have had from the previous night…before she went to Kenshin's room.

On the coat-hanger, her over kimono drooped, waiting for Karou to wear again when they returned to Tokyo. And across the room, on the chesterdrorse, sat all of Karou's smaller belongings.

Kenshin turned to the bed he was sitting on, and ran his hand across the fabric slowly. It was the spot that Karou had laid before she had ran to him for comfort that night.

He didn't know why, or how it had happened, but he then laid himself down on her pillow, and discovered the scent of Karou's hair, most likely the shampoo, but it didn't matter. It was her scent.

It made him smile, and as he laid there, he began to blush uncontrollably, unable to deny it anymore….the feelings that he had within him.

"Kenshin????? Are you exhausted or something???" Karou's voice suddenly awoke him from his small daydream.

He jolted up and found Karou, in a small robe, her swimsuit underneath, staring back at him with confusion.

He turned bright red, and jumped to his feet.

"OH NO!!!! I mean….yes….I was just a little tired!! Sorry about that, Miss Karou!" He rubbed his head nervously.

Karou blinked. "Well, are you sure you wanna even go out then? Maybe you should just stay here and rest. If so, I'll stay here too."

Kenshin shook his head. "Uh, no no!! I'm okay, really! Let's get going, shall we?" He tried to change the subject as quickly as possible.

Karou had no idea how to reply, but just decided that there was nothing that could be said in the first place, and so she began to walk out of the room, signaling Kenshin to follow.

~10 Minutes later~

Kenshin and Kaoru walked through the woods, down the path towards the lake, side by side.

Kenshin seemed to be enjoying his walk, but Karou kept hearing things in the trees around them, and experiencing the feeling that she was being watching from someone out there somewhere.

Kenshin noticed and put on a worried look.

"Miss Karou? Are you alright? You look so…..well, afraid. It is light out, you know. No one would dare try to get you in the daylight…..I mean……uh….." He suddenly realized that was something he shouldn't have said! But it was already heard through Karou's ears.

Thankfully, it rather calmed her to know such a thing.

She smiled. "I….I know."

Kenshin laughed a little, not to be funny, but just at how that day was going.

Karou blinked and looked up at him.

"Kenshin? What's so funny?" 

Kenshin smiled happily. "Hasn't this day been so confusing? This morning, when we both woke up, we were happy to be with each other…..but then later on that morning, you were unhappy with me, and I felt unhappy with you, but then everything got better again….and then now, here we are walking together as if nothing had happened, and….well……..moods certainly do change as the day goes on, wouldn't you agree?"

Karou thought about things, and didn't quite get the picture, but when Kenshin began to laugh again, she couldn't help but laugh along with him, despite her lack of understanding anything he was trying to say.

They just smiled and laughed as they continued to walk down the path.

They looked so happy.

As if nothing was wrong at all.

And at that time, nothing was.

Soon, the lake appeared in front of them, and they rushed to find Yahiko and Misao.

They were about half way around, on the other side of the lake.

Misao was dressed in her swim suit, the kind that the Western Countries used, and was having the time of her life out in the water.

Yahiko just took off his kimono top, and left his trousers on, and jumped in as well.

Kenshin waved to them as him and Karou approached.

"Hey there Himura! Did you come to get soaked too?" Misao called from the water.

Kenshin shook his head.

"I don't think that I should…."

"OH COME ON!!!!!!" Both Misao and Yahiko yelled as they grabbed onto Kenshin's kimono sleeves, and pulled him into the water with them.

With a huge splash, Kenshin was completely soaked, sitting on the lake's shore.

"Ororororororororororooooooooo" Was all he could say, with confusion in his eyes. (What a classic expression! LOL!)

Misao and Yahiko laughed and ran away through the water.

"Hey, you guys!!!! That wasn't very nice! Come back here!!!" Karou called to them, an angry look on her face.

"It's alright, Miss Karou, really!" Kenshin stated from the water.

"Oh! Let me help you!" She reached down to help him out of the water.

He lifted his wet hand, and placed it into hers, but then yanked her down into the water with him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Karou screeched one minute, and the next she found herself sitting in the water with Kenshin.

They both began to laugh freely.

"Well, I guess now that I'm completely soaked…." Kenshin began to say as he stood up in the water, his kimono top sticking to his skin underneath. "I may as well just swim with you guys." He finished as he pulled off his kimono top, and through it to the shoreline.

Karou loved seeing Kenshin like this, so free and relaxed. She saw it a lot back in Tokyo when he was cleaning house, or making dinner, or just talking with her and the others, but now it was so different.

He seemed so happy, standing there topless, his trousers soaked, letting the hot summer sun warm his skin, and dry his hair.

Karou took off her robe and through it to the shoreline as well, then decided to run out into the deep water, and simply dive in.

Kenshin watched as she disappeared into the water, and reappeared some 20 feet off in the deep water.

She threw her hands into the air and smiled.

"Aww! This was such a great idea! I love this!"

Kenshin smiled from the shore and blushed.

"Well, come out here, Kenshin! Or are you too scared?" She smirked.

Kenshin sighed, and stood up, and walked out to the point that he couldn't touch the lake floor any longer, then began to swim out to Karou, as he had been told.

Once he reached her spot, she smiled.

"Isn't it nice? To just swim and not worry about anything?" She questioned next.

Kenshin nodded in reply.

Suddenly, Karou screamed and grabbed onto Kenshin tightly.

"W…what's the matter?!" He exclaimed in worry.

Karou looked terrified.

"Something just touched my foot….SOMETHING'S DOWN THERE!!!!! BRING ME TO SHORE!!! BRING ME TO SHORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried, as most girls would have done.

Sure enough though, as Kenshin had suspected, Yahiko burst out of the water next to them, laughing his head off.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE WAS SO SCARED OF ME!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!! LOOK AT HOW SHE'S CLINGING ONTO YOU, KENSHIN!!" He chuckled devilishly.

Karou and Kenshin both blinked, and looked down at one another.

It had naturally happened the way it did!

Karou's arms were wrapped around Kenshin's neck, her cheek pressed against his firmly.

They both turned a dark red, and pushed away from each other quickly.

Yahiko was cracking up all the while!

Karou and Kenshin looked at one another, then looked back at Yahiko, and grinned.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR IT, YAHIKO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" They both yelled, and began to chase after him through the water.

Yahiko was the one to screech out now!!!!

As they chased the boy into shallower water, and up onto a small cliff over-looking the lake, Yahiko shouted, "NOW MISAO!!!!" But Kenshin and Karou stopped just in time, and watched as Misao fell from the cliff, and down into the water.

She appeared and glared up at Yahiko.

Yahiko rubbed his head. "Sorry, Misao!"

Misao laughed, and then screamed. "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Before Yahiko could do so though, he was pushed off the cliff by Karou and Kenshin.

They both laughed in pleasure of watching Yahiko fall and then pop up again next to Misao, looking very angry.

"NOW YOU GUYS HAVE TO PUSH ONE OF YOU OFF! IF YOU DON'T, THEN IT'LL BE A TIE!" Yahiko called up to them.

"AND WE DON'T SETTLE FOR TIES!!!!!" Misao finished.

Kenshin and Karou looked at one another, and Kenshin smiled evilly.

"K…Kenshin? What are you doing??!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried with laughter in her voice as well as fear.

Kenshin picked her up and brought her over to the edge of the cliff, and looked down at Yahiko and Misao.

Karou looked up at Kenshin, and blushed.

She felt so safe in his strong, bare arms, even when she was about to be thrown over a cliff!!

"You're not really going to throw me over, right?" She questioned.

Kenshin smiled. "I've got a better idea." He winked, and then stepped back a ways from the edge of the cliff.

"Hang on." He stated to her.

She obeyed with ease.

"One……two……..THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kenshin shouted as he ran to the edge of the cliff, and leapt off with Karou in his arms.

Yahiko and Misao quickly cleaned their landing spot in the water.

Soon, Kenshin and Karou felt themselves hit the water, and go under.

They had had their eyes shut tightly, but now they opened them.

They were staring at one another through the water.

They were both immediately stunned greatly at how one another looked in the water.

The current surrounding them somehow set them in a trance, and nothing else was fixed on anything else but them.

Just them.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, and never once came up for air for about 4 whole minutes!!

Karou smiled at Kenshin, and swam closer to him.

His eyes widened as she put her arms around her, and just held him there.

Despite the air running from his lungs as the seconds went by, he felt his heart beat in that rhythm once again.

Karou closed her eyes and continued to keep Kenshin in that embrace, deep under the water.

Kenshin looked up at the water's surface, about 20 feet up from them.

The sunbeams fell through and hit his face, her form holding him.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her as well, and they just stayed like that for a few more minutes.

Up above, Yahiko and Misao had already climbed to the top of the cliff again, and watched the water below, waiting and waiting for Kenshin and Karou to surface!

"Oh no!!! Yahiko, I'm getting worried! What if they couldn't swim or something!!!" Misao exclaimed with much worry.

Yahiko shook his head. "No….they can both swim. I bet they're playing a trick on us or something, and they found another way to get out of the water without us seeing them. Let's just forget them, and head back to the mansion! I wanna get something to eat!" He stated.

Misao blinked, and looked angrily down at the water.

"Oh, I get what you're sayin, Yahiko!! Those mean jerks! I'm not going to speak to them when they come back to the mansion, that's for sure!"

Just as the two of them began to head back to the mansion again though, Kenshin underneath the water swam up to the surface, pulling Karou with him.

As they both emerged, they immediately began to take in much air, gasping for oxygen once again.

They both swam to the shore, and sat down in the sand.

They were still breathing heavily as they sat there, and stared up at the sky.

After about 12 minutes, Karou turned to Kenshin and looked up at him.

He was staring off at the lake in front of them.

The sun was at a point in the sky, signaling that it was maybe 4 or 5 in the late afternoon.

He knew Karou's eyes were fixed on him, and his cheeks began to turn color after a moment.

Karou smiled, although Kenshin did not turn to her, or make a sound.

She knew this was no time for words.

Instead, she stood up, and walked over to the spot where they had thrown their extra clothes.

She picked up her robe, and Kenshin's kimono top, and shook them out, getting rid of any sand on them, then proceeded to bring them over to Kenshin.

He blinked and turned to her, staring up at her, his violet eyes staring back at her, still somewhere she couldn't reach, and still there with her.

She smiled though still, and handed him his top kimono.

He took it, and began to put it back on.

Karou walked out into the water up to her knees, and stared down at her reflection in the shimmering lake's liquid.

She hadn't expected Kenshin to follow her.

His reflection appeared by her own, and stared at her.

He was smiled that one smile she loved.

"What are you looking at?" He questioned, breaking the silence.

Karou blinked a few times, and then shook her head.

"Nothing…..let's head back now. It's getting late by the looks of things. Yahiko and Misao must have already gone back by now as well. It'll be dinner soon, and I'm starving. I'm tired too. I can't wait to get into my bed and sleep peacefully tonight." She explained, trying to sound cheerful.

Kenshin didn't object to this subject. "I'm rather tired myself. You're right, Miss Karou, we should defiantly be heading back now." He stated.

As he began to turn around though, and walk back to the shore, Karou turned swiftly after him. "Wait!"

Kenshin turned back around to face her.

Karou stood there for a moment, then closed her eyes as she let the summer breeze pass her. Not too hot, and not too cold. 

"Thank you……for such a wonderful day you've given me. I always have so much fun with you and everyone else…..it means so much to me that…..that you were here today with me…..instead of somewhere else. I'm in your debt." She explained in a soft tone.

Kenshin smiled. "Please….you don't own me anything for this. We're here to have fun…and so…..that is what we'll do."

Karou nodded, and followed Kenshin out of the water.

About 10 minutes or so later, they were headed down the path again back to the mansion.

And about an hour later, dinner was being eaten.

Finally, 2 hours after dinner, Karou sat on the front deck of the mansion, looking off at the fireflies glowing in the distance.

She watched as the sun began to hide itself behind the far off hills.

She began to fear again, as she had done the night before…..of the dark.

*Mr. Orasumi didn't eat dinner with us, tonight. ……..Why?* Karou questioned herself in thought.

She happened to look up at a lightened up window, and saw Mr. Orasumi looking out the window, down at….not her……but Kenshin, who had been walking with Yahiko in the forest, and was now coming back towards the mansion! She saw his eyes…..they had evil in them…they had hatred….and he was looking straight at Kenshin!!!!

She remembered how she had felt about him that morning….but now…..it was different. Before….he looked at her with a glint of evil in his dark eyes……but now it was at Kenshin!!! What was going on???!!!

That next instant though….everything became clear.

Another man appeared in the window behind Mr. Orasumi. 

Mr. Orasumi pointed to Kenshin, and he said something to the man standing next to him.

Then, to Karou's horror, Mr. Orasumi pulled out of a cloth pouch, and out of the pouch, he showed the other man a long sword!!! The blade was finely polished, and sharpened, she could tell.

He said something else to the man, and then they were both laughing.

Mr. Orasumi handed the sword and the cloth pouch to the man, and then the man bowed and left.

Mr. Orasumi looked back out the window, and began to turn towards Karou!

She turned away just in time for him not to notice that she had seen what he had just done.

Her heart beat with feat, she could hear it in her ears!!!

*They're going to do something to Kenshin……I know they are!!!! I have to tell him!!!! I must!!!!!!* She exclaimed in her mind.

She was about to run to Kenshin and tell him then as he came closer to the deck she was sitting on, but then she remembered Mr. Orasumi.

If he saw her run and tell Kenshin something, he would know right off the bat that she had witnessed his meeting with the other man she had never seen before!!

She had to tell Kenshin somewhere else…..but she needed to make it fast.

The night that was approaching faster and faster was the one she was sure….that Mr. Orasumi planned on doing something to Kenshin!!!

Her hands trembled, and she grasped her kimono dress.

Yahiko and Kenshin walked up onto the deck, and walked past her.

Kenshin saw Karou's trembling hands, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Karou? Are you alright?" He asked, knowing something wasn't.

Karou looked past Kenshin's shoulder, and saw Mr. Orasumi looking down at the two of them with his hate-filled expression.

"N….nothing! Nothing at all!" She lied.

Kenshin knelt down, and put his hands over hers in her lap.

"Let's go inside now, Karou. I promise nothing will happen to you tonight. Mr. Orasumi's guards will be protecting you….and they'll find the man that tried to kill you last night, and have him put to death for what he was going to do to you. Don't you worry. Everything will get better, I swear it on my name."

Karou stood up with Kenshin, and looked down at their hands, all placed over one another.

She was so afraid to tell him then…but she wanted to so badly. She was so scared for him…not for her.

"I….I wish I could believe you." She whispered, and then turned to go inside, letting her hands slip out of his.

Kenshin looked down to his feet, and then off to the darkened forest, and the night filled sky…now beginning to dot itself with stars.

*It was such a peaceful day…….but then……..night fell.* He told himself deep within his mind, before turning to head back inside after Karou, and bring her up to her room.

~Wow!! This is getting sooooo good!!!! PLEASE KEEP READING!!!!~

~Smile B~


	12. Chapter Twelve What’s the use of living...

~Chapter Twelve- What's the use of living, if you're losing the one life you cherish more then your own?~

Mr. Orasumi stood in front of Karou's bedroom door when Kenshin and Karou had gone upstairs together, before departing for sleep.

Misao and Yahiko had hit the sack earlier, on a count of their long swimming and playing all day long.

Sanoske on the other hand, was planning on going out and drinking with some of Mr. Orasumi's servant guys, whom he had made friends with that day.

It was already 15 minutes to 11 p.m., and so it was about time that everyone got to sleep at the mansion. 

Kenshin figured Sano wouldn't come back until the next morning anyway.

"Well, Miss Kamiya, as you can plainly see, my guards are of great skill. They will make sure that nothing harms you tonight, until we capture the bandit!" Mr. Orasumi explained to Karou as he motioned to the guards outside her window on posts, and the guards in front of her doorway.

"There are more guards at other places in the mansion as well. I can assure you that everything will be just fine." Mr. Orasumi finished with a smile.

Although he didn't look the way he did in the window earlier, Karou noticed that he seemed overly pleased with something.

She suddenly remembered that she had to tell Kenshin what she had seen, or else he may be hurt!!!

She waited until Mr. Orasumi began to walk away.

"Kenshin!!" She whispered quickly over to him.

Mr. Orasumi turned around, and glared at Karou.

He knew now.

He knew that she was trying to tell Kenshin something….and he knew what that something was too.

She stepped back.

Kenshin stared at her for a moment, in confusion.

"Yes, Miss Karou?" He replied.

Karou looked towards Mr. Orasumi.

He continued to stare directly at her.

He suddenly snapped his fingers.

"The hunt has now begun for the bandit. Get in your room, Miss Kamiya! Now!" He snapped.

Karou looked to Kenshin.

Kenshin stared back at her still.

He then looked up to one of the guards.

"Please…….take good care of her." Were his only words, before turning to walk away.

One of the guards then grabbed Karou's wrist.

"W…WAIT! KENSHIN! COME BACK!" She cried, knowing it was her last chance to tell him of the danger he might be in.

Just as Kenshin turned around to face Karou again, the last he saw of her was her hand reaching out to him, and then she was pushed into her room, and the door was locked tightly.

Kenshin didn't like how they were acting now…..Mr. Orasumi, and the guards.

"Come on, Mr. Himura. It's getting late, don't you agree? Why don't you go up and get some rest." Mr. Orasumi stated with a pat on Kenshin's back.

Kenshin nodded.

"Yes….alright."

~10 Minutes later~

Kenshin sat on his bed, his night clothes on, brushing out his hair.

It always got into so many tangles, it was ridiculous!

After he set his brush down though, his long red hair running down his back, he looked up at the ceiling, and sighed loudly.

"Karou……they promised you'd be alright……..but can I really trust these people with your life? Mr. Orasumi…..and those guards…….they didn't want you to tell me what you were trying to say. Why?" He questioned himself aloud.

He laid down on his bed, the place Karou had slept the night before.

That time seemed like ages ago….and yet it had only been a mere 24 hours in the past!

He remembered how Karou ran and ran to find him…to get to him…..because she was so afraid that she'd never see him again….that she'd die alone and scared with…..him.

He lowered his head, and his fists tightened in his lap.

"If anything happens to you behind my back…….I would………..I would…………."

He saw tears collecting in his eyes suddenly!!!

He put his face into his hands, and sat there, trying to think of something else to take his mind off of things…..but it was no use.

He saw Karou's sweet smile, and her beautiful blue eyes…..and then saw her being slaughtered, as if she were nothing but a lowly girl that had nothing and wasn't anything!!!

He would break his promise to never kill again if anyone did that to her.

He then snapped out of his angry trance, and sighed again.

"What am I thinking? Karou is safer then she would ever be with me right now. I'm sure everything will be fine. I need to stop this worrying!" He told himself aloud as he pulled down the covers on his bed, and laid down.

As she shut off the light, he remembered Karou again.

How she had laid there, so tired….so helpless in the spot he was laying in now.

He lifted his hand and made out the shape of it in the dark around him.

"She held this hand…….and………"

He put his hand up to his scarred face.

He then decided to scoot over to the other side of the bed.

He turned to face the spot he had just left.

The cold-ness of the sheets now cooled him, and he tried to focus on just sleeping.

*Everything will be okay. First thing tomorrow…..I'll go downstairs and find Karou sleeping in her bed soundly, not a scratch on her. They'll catch the bandit tonight most likely…..and…….Karou……will…..finally…….be……………….safe.* He told himself in thought, just as he drifted off to sleep.

~One floor down in Karou's room.~

Karou brushed her hair in the mirror, as she had done the night before, and then braided it neatly, and placed it over her shoulder.

She looked to her bedroom room.

The guards were talking outside of it.

She sighed, and looked up at the ceiling.

*Kenshin's room is right up above mine.* She suddenly figured out.

She lowered her head, and placed her hand over her heart.

It beat in a normal rhythm at the time…..but she could recall not too far in the future when it would beat rapidly with fear again.

Amazing enough, she wasn't scared right now, she just felt trapped, unable to do anything about what might happen in the near future!!

Her bottom lip quivered a bit, and her heart began to beat just a bit faster.

"Kenshin……please stay alive." She whispered to herself.

After another few moments, she walked over to her bed and laid down.

She turned off her lights, and stared at the ceiling still.

She knew that Kenshin was so close to her…..right above her head…..and yet…..she couldn't get to him.

All of a sudden, one of the guards un-locked her door and peeked in.

She shut her eyes instantly, to make it look like she was asleep.

She knew something was starting to happen.

"Is that girl asleep?" One of the guards asked.

After a few seconds of silence, the other guards spoke, "Yes. Looks like she knocked out good too."

"That's great! Now we can get the job done faster." The other guards explained.

They closed her door again, and locked it.

She could still hear them talking though.

"So what do we do to help the boss out?" One began again.

"Well, all he says for us to do is make sure this girl doesn't get out of her room…..which should be pretty easy, on a count a she's dead asleep!" The other explained.

"Oh yeah! So…..seeing as we don't have anything to do, wanna go get some sake for the night from one of the kitchen maids?" The other stated.

"Oh yeah! Them kitchen maids are pretty sexy, you have to admit! Let's hurry, before anyone notices we're off duty!" The other guard cackled, and then Karou heard them rampage down the hallway, and down the stairs.

Karou opened her eyes finally, and jumped out of bed.

She didn't turn on her light, but she ran to the door, and looked underneath it.

The two guards had left their lantern!

It was perfect!

Karou tried the door handle, but obviously it was locked, so she started to pound on the door, hoping it would somehow unlatch, but she knew that would work either….and it would probably just give away her only chance to get to Kenshin to tell him about the danger!

She had to get out though! Somehow!!!!!

She frantically looked around the room, able to see in the dark now that her eyes had adjusted.

*Maybe…I can use the Kamiya Kashin swords style to break down the door!! And also to get away from the guards!!! But I left my wooden sword at home……..* She began to think.

She looked at the chair sitting beside the chesterdrowrs.

*The leg of the chair! I can break it off and use that!! Perfect!* She figured out, and rushed over to the chair.

She began to shake and undo the hinges holding the chair together, and finally, one of the legs fell off onto the floor.

She picked it up and looked it over real fast.

It was about the right length.

She faced the door again then, and positioned herself.

Then she thrust herself at the door, and broke it to pieces!!

Without a moment to lose, she ran out the broken down door, and into the hallway.

She grabbed the lantern on the floor, and ran down the hall to the staircase.

"What the hell was that noise!!!???" She heard one of the guards say as she reached the hallway opening.

Suddenly, the two guards appeared at the staircase leading downstairs.

She gasped, and rushed to the staircase going up.

She had made it up 3 steps, and then one of the guards grabbed the chair leg she was hanging onto.

"LET ME GO!!!!!!" She cried, but then remembered that the stupid chair leg wasn't attached to her body! (lol)

She simply let go of the chair leg, and the guard fell back, running into the other guard, and they both fell down the stairs, pilling on top of one another!

Karou then proceeded up the stars at full speed.

*KENSHIN!!!!!!!!! PLEASE STAY ALIVE!!!!!!!!! I'M COMING!!!!!!!!! I'M ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

~In Kenshin's room~

Kenshin slept peacefully, breathing neatly and steadily, not too loud, and not too quiet.

He was an expert when it came to sleeping, that was for one thing.

He had been taught, after all, living through the revolution, to sleep through pretty much anything!

Almost unnoticeably, a shadowed figure of a man crept across the room, and to the foot of Kenshin's bed.

His shadow fell over Kenshin's sleeping form.

The man smirked devilishly.

"Well, Mr. Himura, we finally meet. Lord Orasumi has told me many good things about you, like how you saved his life…as well as many other lives these past 12 years after the revolution, and your ending days of being Battosai the Manslayer. You're really a fine man….but unfortunately, you're getting in the way of Lord Orasumi's plans to kill Lady Kamiya…..and so he wants me to take you out of the picture….permanently. Don't take it personal or anything, Himura. I'd rather see you alive now then dead. The government and the Meji era really needs a guy like you around….but you know what they say……follow your master's order's, right? I hope you enjoyed your last day of sunlight….for it will truly be your last…………and so……..Farewell…..Mr. Himura."

The man pulled the sword out of the cloth pouch, the same one Karou had seen Mr. Orasumi give to this man.

The man dropped the cloth to the floor, and then raised the blade over his head.

"I bet you'll miss that Kamiya girl, won't you? I'm sure you won't be seeing her in heaven, now will you? Mr. Orasumi has decided to keep her alive, as long as she marries him and becomes his slave for the rest of her days! A fitting end for her…..since her samurai will never be there for her again."

With those words said, Kenshin opened his eyes, and saw the blade flying towards him.

It such a small amount of time, he could do nothing to stop the sword from cutting him in half!!!!

But then…….

"PLEASE NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Karou screamed as she threw herself over Kenshin's body.

The blade stopped inches away from her back.

Kenshin was so confused! But he had heard the man's words about Mr. Orasumi's plans with Karou. He felt so betrayed by the old man he had risked his life for!!!

But right now……Karou was to be dealt with…..but……more less she was protecting him!!!

He looked up at her face.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks rapidly.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GOT IN THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The man shouted, and lifted his hand, shoving it into Karou's back!!!!

"REMOVE YOURSELF FROM HIMURA!!!!!!!!! IF I DO NOT KILL HIM, I WILL BE KILLED INSTEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He threw another fist into her back, but she didn't budge.

"PLEASE………DON'T KILL HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T KILL HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I BEG OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE…………SPARE HIS LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPARE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried and cried.

The man's teeth grinded.

Despite the erg to kill her, he couldn't, because if he did, he would be in huge trouble with Mr. Orasumi, who planned on keeping her alive!

"I SAID GET OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He pushed her to the floor, but she held onto Kenshin, and he fell with her.

Her body still shielding his body.

Kenshin suddenly felt so helpless in her arms, and he couldn't move a muscle.

"Horrible bitch……get up and off of him!!!!!!!!!!!" The man hissed, kicking her.

She sat there and cried, keeping Kenshin in her arms, pressing his head to her chest.

"No……..I won't let you kill him…….I won't……….NEVER!!!!!" Her voice trembled, but she stayed in power, refusing to let him kill the man she held in her arms…..the man she knew she could never live without.

The shadowed blade was put back into the pouch, and the man spit at Karou's back.

"By the end of tomorrow, both you and Himura…..will not ever see each other again. Take a good look at him, Miss Kamiya. Take in his picture……and never forget it. It's a hard and long life as a slave…….and you may need that image to survive Lord Orasumi's orders." The man explained, and then disappeared into the shadows.

After the room was empty, Karou continued to cry.

She just cried, and didn't let go of Kenshin.

She looked down at him, he was staring back up at her, so confused.

"Kenshin…..Kenshin…….I…..I…..I tried to tell you that……that Mr. Orasumi……...he…….was going to kill you tonight. But……I never was able to." She whispered in a cracked voice.

"But I won't let them…….kill you……ever……not ever. I'll never let them take you away from me." Her voice cracked, and got louder.

Kenshin finally found movement again, and reached up, placing his hands over Karou's cheeks.

He then proceeded to wipe away her many tears, and sit up on his knees in front of her.

She stared at him, now that they were eye level.

Then, in a unusually fast motion, Kenshin grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

"Thank you……..Karou." He said ruggedly.

Karou's eyes widened.

"You've never called me by my first name before……it was always, "Miss" Karou. Not just plain or Karou." She stated, and almost instantly wished she had kept her mouth shut.

Kenshin smiled, making sure she didn't see that smile.

"Oh…..but that's what I always call you…….just not…….aloud." He explained simply.

Before Karou could say anything more, Sanoske and the real guards that had been out drinking with him and the servant guys, all ran into the room, and to Kenshin and Karou's side.

"Little Missy!!!! Kenshin!!!!" He cried. "What's going on here!!!??? The guys and I got in late, and heard lots of noise coming from up here!!!! Did something happen????!!!!!!" Sanoske continued.

Kenshin and Karou were brought to the basement downstairs, where Mr. Orasumi couldn't find them.

Some of the guards that could be trusted woke up and brought Misao and Yahiko to the basement as well, just to be safe.

There, Kenshin explained what had been happening, and what had also happened the night before, all the while, Karou was being cradled by Misao, a large blanket over the two of them.

Everyone but Karou and Kenshin looked shocked after Kenshin's story was complete.

"So…you're sayin that the Missy here was almost killed last night, and you went to talk about it to Mr. Orasumi the next morning, thinking that you could trust him with Karou's life…but then he turned on you with false guards, and tried o kill you???!!!" Sanoske tried to put together the confusion for Yahiko, Misao, and everyone else that was listening, that being Sano's new friends, all the maids, servants, and guards surrounding them.

Kenshin nodded.

"He wanted to get rid of me, I'm guessing because I protected Miss Karou the night before….and so he needed to take me out of the picture, so he could finish what he had planned to do with Miss Karou. Only…..now he plans to keep her alive, but make her his wife, and have her as a salve until the day she dies, and have me killed instead of her!!!"

Misao held Karou tighter, as Karou heard this new part of the story she hadn't been award of until then.

"But why……..why does he want me? What did I do to him? Wasn't I…..wasn't I kind enough or something? Maybe my manners are slipping…..I don't understand at all." Karou sobbed in Misao's arms.

Kenshin gave a depressed look in Karou's direction.

"Don't you worry your head, Missy. Your manners were just fine…..it's something else……something else that that Orasumi guy wants out of you." Sanoske suddenly spoke up.

He knew Kenshin didn't know what to say.

Kenshin smiled to Sanoske, and then stood up.

"That's where I come in. I plan to get to the bottom of why he would want to do this to Miss Karou. And now." Kenshin looked to Yahiko.

Yahiko pulled the reverse-blade sword out of his kimono shirt, and handed it to Kenshin.

He took it, and slid it into the rim of his sash.

As he turned to go, Karou looked up quickly from her and Misao's blanket.

"Kenshin!!!"

He turned to her.

"Please…..don't get killed." Karou said in a sad tone.

He smiled at her, and then he left the room.

"I can't believe we've been serving this guy….this guy that would attempt to kill such an innocent girl." One of the servant guys stated.

"That's nothing….I think I at one time loved the man years back when he was younger and I as well!!" One of the older maids complained.

"What fools we all were. I say we quick from here on out and go chase our wildest dreams! What do you all say to that?" One of the guards exclaimed.

"Yes……let's."

As they all began to leave the room, Sanoske, Yahiko, and Misao turned to Karou.

"I wouldn't….let that man kill Kenshin…….because……..I………." She began to say.

"We know, Karou. We know." Misao said, placing her hand on Karou's shoulder.

Karou placed her hand on top of Misao's.

"I was willing to die back there in the dark…….to save Kenshin. I don't know why….but the words kept passing through my mind as I sat there, protecting him from death…………….What's the use of living….if you're losing the one life you cherish more then your own?"

~OMG!!!!! KEEP READING!!!! KEEP READING!!!!~

~Smile B~


	13. chapter Thirteen The truth hidden behin...

~Chapter Thirteen- The truth hidden behind Mr. Orasumi's gentle nature~

Kenshin walked to the main floor, and out of the basement.

He looked this way and that, trying to stay alert for anything that might come his way……but nothing happened!

Everything was silent, as if nothing wrong was happening!

He didn't like the stillness surrounding him though.

It was too silent….too quiet…..too motionless.

"Mr. Himura….." A voice suddenly tuned in from behind Kenshin's back.

He spun around quickly to find Mr. Orasumi standing there, with an expression on his face Kenshin couldn't understand.

"Mr. Orasumi……." He replied in a stiff voice.

Mr. Orasumi smiled gently.

"I see my men have failed in taking your life. Believe it or not, I'm actually rather pleased. I wasn't looking forward to hurting you, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin tried to not get too angry. It would ruin everything.

He didn't say a word instead.

Mr. Orasumi walked closer to Kenshin, and patted him on the shoulder.

Kenshin jerked away, and glared.

"Mr. Orasumi……I'm not here to talk pleasantly with you…..I don't see you as a friend in the least sort any longer. Not after what you were planning to do with Karou."

Mr. Orasumi chuckled.

"Oh, Mr. Himura……you are sticking your nose into things that don't even concern you at all. I understand she's your friend, and perhaps even more then that….but-"

"No buts…….she is the most important person to me………..and you tried to kill her…..and for that……it is utterly and completely my concern." He snapped at Mr. Orasumi.

The old man blinked, and then smiled again.

"If that's how you're going to be…..then I'm guessing you wish for me to give you a reason why I'm doing this, correct?"

Kenshin nodded.

Mr. Orasumi patted Kenshin's shoulder again, and walked past him.

Kenshin didn't turn around.

"What's the matter, Himura? You want to know the truth, right? If not…you can just stay here and battle my men, until you fall to your knees dead. Or perhaps….you'd rather run away from all this…and find a new family, and a new life……perhaps in another land far away. Either way, it'll get you no where…for I will always win in the end." Mr. Orasumi grinned.

Kenshin turned to Mr. Orasumi now.

"I'm coming……" He hissed to the old man, and followed him out of the dark mansion, and into the night.

Outside, a carriage was awaiting Mr. Orasumi.

The old man got in, and Kenshin followed.

Kenshin watched as the mansion slowly disappeared into the night, and allowed the carriage to pull him farther away.

He had to know the truth……he had to.

~Back at the mansion, in the basement.~

Sanoske and the servants talked, as the guards escorted the maids to their condors to gather up their belongings. They all planned on leaving the next morning for better lives.

Misao, Yahiko and Karou all sat together in a corner together, under the blanket.

"Karou……you'll be alright, won't you?" Yahiko questioned her.

Karou stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't care about me……..is Kenshin alright though?"

Misao and Yahiko looked at one another sadly.

Suddenly, the wall in the basement room was blown through by something huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the false guards, in all their might, standing as he dust cleared.

Sanoske and Yahiko jumped to their feet, and the servant men did so as well.

Misao and Karou huddled together in fear in the corner.

"You must be Sanoske Sagara, no?" One of the huge false guards spoke as he pointed to Sanoske.

Sano nodded slightly.

"Yeah…what of it?" He snapped.

The false guard took one step towards Sanoske.

"Sagara…..where is Miss Kamiya? We're ready to take her now."

Karou and Misao heard this, and Misao grabbed onto Karou tightly, and shut her eyes.

"And what'll you do if we don't give her to you?" Yahiko suddenly barked out.

The false guard, and his buddies all grinned evilly.

"Well, little man….I don't think you should resolve to that, for you see, Mr. Orasumi is taking Mr. Himura as we speak to his favorite spot in the forest for murdering people he doesn't want to deal with anymore…..and he has given us, his men in crime, the orders of, and I quote….Bring Miss Kamiya to him, and if they refuse, and make a fuss about it….then Mr. Himura….will be found dead the next morning, buried in the summer dirt. It's your choice. If you want Mr. Himura to live…then you will hand over Miss Kamiya right away to us."

Sanoske and Yahiko all stared in horror!

Sano's fists tightened though.

"DO YOU THINK WE'LL ACTUALLY FALL FOR SOMETHING SO RIDICULOUS?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted in rage.

"No, Sanoske." A voice came from behind Sano.

He turned around, and found Karou standing behind him, staring up at the false guards.

"KAROU!!!!! NO!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!" Misao pleaded as she stood up and ran to Karou's side, taking her arm into hers.

"KAROU!!! YOU CAN'T!!!! WE'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!! PLEASE DON'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Karou didn't respond as the 16-year-old Oniwonbon member broke down into tears, falling to her knees.

Sano stared at his female friend in confusion.

"Missy…….I don't understand."

Karou took one step forward, but then felt arms wrapped around her waste from the front.

She looked down and saw Yahiko's face buried into her nightgown.

"Karou……I…..I understand……..now." The boy cried.

Karou placed her hands onto Yahiko's shoulders.

He looked up and stared into her face.

She smiled weakly to him.

"Go……save Kenshin." Yahiko whispered up to her.

Karou nodded, and placed a hand over Yahiko's cheek.

She then set him aside, and walked towards the false guards.

They turned her around rapidly, and tired her wrists with rope.

Karou looked up at Sanoske, and back at Misao.

"If Kenshin comes back….and this was all a trap just to make me Mr. Orasumi's slave……please tell Kenshin……..please tell him that…..I did it…to save his life….and to make sure…..that his soul lived on….for the sake…..of my family."

One tear fell down Karou's cheek, and then the false guards turned her around and walked her out of the room.

Everything was silent, until Misao began to sob uncontrollably at her knees.

"I'VE LOST LORD AOSHI, AND NOW KENSHIN AND KAROU TOO!!!!!!!!!! WHY??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed. "WHY????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

~With Kenshin~

The carriage that carried Kenshin and Mr. Orasumi farther and farther into the forest's dark, misty atmosphere slowly came to a stop in the middle of a dark clearing.

The sky began to cloud over as Mr. Orasumi stepped out of the carriage, and Kenshin after him.

The ground felt unstable to Kenshin, but he guessed it was because they were near the drop off that went into the deep river valley. It was straight down, flat sided cliff that plummeted down to the river thousands of feet down.

Mr. Orasumi sat down on a stone, and Kenshin walked over to another stone a few feet away from Mr. Orasumi.

"Now…..tell me everything." Kenshin snapped, unable to control his impatient wondering any longer.

Mr. Orasumi chuckled again.

"Well now, Mr. Himura, you wish to know why I want Miss Kamiya either dead or my slave, correct? Well……it started long ago…….you see, I was a passing member of the Kamiya Kashin style swords method with Miss Kamiya's father. I was as skilled as Mr. Kamiya was….and just as good. We were equal in personality, as well as swordsmanship. We had been friends for as long as we could remember as well. But then…..you must surly know that the meaning of the Kamiya Kashin style is to use your sword to protect and save the weak, right? Well, I disagreed with that with much passion. I believed a sword was for killing the people you hate, and for keeping your power at top level. When you swing your sword, you do it to kill, and not to protect. When I told this to Mr. Kamiya though, he tried to tell me otherwise…..but I wouldn't hear it. I tried to make him believe my words, but he called me a user of his technique, and so he kicked me out of his dojo…..and that's when I grew the hatred for him, and our friendship was lost forever. We remained distant for years after that, and I became a wealthy man of the government in due time, with my knowledge and ability to barter and trade with other completing countries. But my hatred for him grew even stronger throughout those years. Finally, I decided to get rid of him once and for all……but when I sought out information on him, I found he had died of sickness….along with his wife. But…..the information given to me stated that he had a little girl, that was still alive. I swore I would kill her instead of him, to get my revenge. It's been about 15 years since that day, and that little girl of Mr. Kamiya's has grown into that beautiful young lady you see now. I didn't know you even had a connection with her, but when she appeared with you the other day at my doorstep…..I figured, now is my chance to finally have my revenge."

Kenshin was shocked beyond belief. He hadn't ever imagined that this situation linked back to the days before he himself was even born! But worse still…he despised the fact that Mr. Orasumi looked for revenge in a person that hadn't done anything at all to him….and probably didn't even know about the story herself!!! Being as young as Karou had been when her father and mother had perished….around the age of 3.…..she couldn't have known about this tragic fight between Mr. Orasumi and her beloved late father.

He finally knew the reason though, why Mr. Orasumi was doing what he was.

At least now he could tell Karou her manners were still good.

At that thought, he smiled a little bit, but not for long.

Mr. Orasumi stood up and smiled down at Kenshin.

Kenshin immediately whipped off the grin he had placed on his lips away, and looked up at him.

"So there you go, Mr. Himura. You now know why I want to take Miss Kamiya and get revenge. Are you satisfied?" Mr. Orasumi questioned.

Kenshin glared. "I am."

Mr. Orasumi grinned. "I knew you would be. I like you, Himura. Not just because you saved my life weeks back, but because you are so easy to play around with. But I like you for your personality as well, and I don't usually like many, so….I'm giving you this one chance…….will we be at peace now, and part. I will never come after you again, and you will be freed from the death I once set upon your life. You may run, or you may stay, but you will swear not to get involved with my work."

Kenshin stood up in front of the old man.

"And….I'm suspecting that Karou is now safe as well?"

Mr. Orasumi let out a laugh.

"Heavens no. What I mean is…..you give me Karou, and leave in peace to find things better then her and this family of yours."

Kenshin couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Mr. Orasumi by the collar, and pushed him up against the carriage.

"I would never agree to that. I would never allow you to hurt her. Can't you see, Sir Orasumi………….the family I am with now…..and the woman you want to take away from me………………are the greatest, and only good things in my life that I will ever find."

Suddenly Mr. Orasumi began to laugh hysterically!!

Kenshin's eyes widened in anger.

"Why do you laugh?" He snapped.

Mr. Orasumi slapped Kenshin's hands away from his collar.

"I gave you one chance to spare your life, and you blew it. I guess now is as good of time as ever…….to show you what will happen next….to that family of yours…….and to that woman you care about so much." 

As Mr. Orasumi laughed some more, Kenshin stood there, his fists tightening, getting ready to grasp his sword at any moment.

~OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!! PLEASE KEEP READING!!!!!! EEEEP!!!!~

~Smile B~


	14. Chapter Fourteen blue & violet eyes and...

~Chapter Fourteen- blue & violet eyes and warm tears~

~With Karou and the false guards~

The horse that Karou rode on the back of was huff looking, and scared.

The false guard that had tied her hands up was at the rains, going faster and faster, leading his buddies close behind him to somewhere in the dark, cold forest.

Karou was cold, and very scared, but she was willing to do this.

*I will become Mr. Orasumi's slave…or be killed all together…..if it will save Kenshin's life. I just wish that I could have………* A scene of Kenshin's face passed her mind as she thought these words. He was smiling at her. *If only I could have……for one single moment………taken his face into my hands……and told him…………how much he means to me.*

She then hoped that somehow, he would know. He would know that she was there. That she would always ran to his side if he called her name.

She felt tears burning her eyes now.

Her black hair danced about in the passing wind, her braid now gone, and her nightgown swatted around in the air as well, a bit tattered, but not bad.

She looked like an angel, taken away from everything.

The horse began to slow down in a clearing all of a sudden.

~With Kenshin~

Kenshin heard horses coming near, and then stop!

"Your friends are back at the mansion…and I have set a bomb to go off there in precisely 25 minutes, and non of them know about it…..and as for Miss Kamiya….." Mr. Orasumi stated.

Kenshin's eyes widened, and he turned around slowly.

He breath caught in his throat.

~With Karou~

"Oh, come on, bitch!! You're not going to cry are you???!!! You were _so _confident when you left the mansion! I swear!!!!! Frickin' wench!!! Get off the horse!!!!" The false guard shouted, and yanked Karou off the horse. (this is what Kenshin is watching by the way)

Karou's feet hit the ground harshly, and she quivered in fear.

"I…..I'm sorry…….I just…………." Her lip shook, and tears grew in her eyes, her hair falling over her shoulders.

"COME ON!!!!!!" The false guards and the other men shouted, and thrust her towards them.

She cried out a little, but held her breath.

"There's my new wife now, Mr. Himura." Mr. Orasumi chuckled, as the two of them watched this scene unfold.

Karou couldn't take it anymore.

She was being hurt, and she was so scared, and she thought she could handle going through what she was……but in truth………..

She fell to her knees suddenly, and covered her head with her arms, crying hysterically.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU NOW?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The false guard shouted as he kicked her.

"PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT KENSHIN!!!!!! I JUST WANNA BE WITH HIM!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME……….PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO SCARED!!!!! DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T LET THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO COLD AND SO AFRAID!!!!!!!! I JUST WANNA GO HOME AND BE WITH KENSHIN AND MY FRIENDS, AND MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T WANNA BE HERE ANYMORE!!!!! I WANNA SEE YAHIKO AND MISAO AND SANOSKE AND MAGUMI AND AYAME AND SAZUME AND DR. GENZAI AND EVERYONE ELSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! DON'T TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH PLEASE KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She cried and cried…….her sobs so clear and frantic at the same time!!

She trembled, and broke down into so many tears, huddled on the ground like a little child.

All the while, Kenshin had heard everything.

Karou had pleaded with all her might for him, not knowing that he was there!!

He lifted his hand out to her, feeling himself becoming more and more……he could explain the feelings he had.

Everything became silent, except for Karou's sobbing.

Kenshin could hear her words as she did so. She continued to plead for him to find her. She continued to wish and pray that he would stop the people from taking her away……as if he wasn't there…..and she didn't know that he was for sure.

He felt tears walling up in the brims of his eyes as he watched the grieving form of Karou, huddled on the ground…..so helpless. So alone. So cold. So frightened.

He suddenly realized…. that that what was he was…..without her.

Helpless.

Alone.

Cold.

Frightened.

"Karou….." He whispered.

"Karou………" He said a bit loud.

"KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried out, his tears spilling down his cheeks as he ran to her side.

"STOP HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mr. Orasumi shouted to the false guards, and they grabbed Kenshin before he could get to Karou's side.

She looked up and saw him trying to so hard to get out of the grasp of the false guards.

Trying so hard.

Trying.

He thrust forward, and continued to scream out her name, his tears still falling.

His hands reached out to her, and she lifted her self up to her hands, staring at him……….

He wa so……so…………so…………………..afraid and………..he was trembling…….because he wanted to badly to get to her!!!!!

"KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried again, pulling himself out of the grasp of the false guards, and running as fast as he could go, filling dizzy, but not stopping for anything, and fell to his knees, taking her into his arms, and pressing her to his heart so tightly.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried into his chest with all her might, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing.

They sat there and sobbed in one another's arms…….not ever wanting to let go…..EVER!!!

"I'M RIGHT HERE, KAROU!!! I WON'T EVER LEAVE YOU AGAIN!!!!! I SWEAR IT!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER WANNA BE AWAY FROM YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SWEAR IT KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ON MY NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNOW YOU MAY FEEL DIFFERENT…….BUT I CAN'T DENY MYSELF ANY LONGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE YOUR SIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THERE, WON'T YOU???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He exclaimed with so many tears.

Karou could only cry.

Suddenly, arms grabbed both their forms, and began to pull them apart!!!!

Pulling…….

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Karou screamed.

Kenshin reached out from the darkness and grabbed her hand.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I DON'T FEEL DIFFERENTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T LET THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Their hands held on as tightly as they could.

"RELEASE EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I COMMAND YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The voices of the false guards were heard around them.

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T TAKE HER AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly, their hands were pulled apart.

Kenshin was thrown to the ground, the tears still falling from his eyes.

He looked up and watched as Karou was brought over to Mr. Orasumi's side.

"Well now, that was most interesting…" He commented with sarcasm in his voice.

"I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TELL ME WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed in anger and fear and sadness at the same time.

Mr. Orasumi then told her the same story he had told Kenshin.

Karou stared in absolute shock.

"Now…to get my revenge…..you are my wife that I shall marry……and you will also be my slave. You will do anything and everything for me, and you will do it without a complaint. We depart right now for Europe where my other home is. Your friends back at the mansion will be dead soon, and your beloved Himura……" He then grabbed her jaw and turned her head to him.

He was still watching from the ground.

"M-m-my…..beloved…………" She sobbed as she cried with stuttering in her breathing, stared straight at Kenshin's violet eyes, swollen from all the tears.

Mr. Orasumi then rapidly brought her face back to confront his again.

"As for him……he will be dead as well…….and there is truly….nothing you can do about it at all." Mr. Orasumi began to laugh, and so did the false guards around him and Kenshin.

Kenshin gave a look to Karou.

Somehow, she read it, through all her tears.

"So….what do you think, my sweet?" Mr. Orasumi questioned Karou. "You'll make a fine wife and slave, won't you….for me, my dear?"

Karou's teeth bared. "Burn in hell………YOU

BASTERD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WOULD NEVER DO ANY OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT LEAST NOT FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MAY SEEM LIKE AN INNOCENT LITTLE GIRL, WHO WANTS HER SAMURAI TO COME AND SAVE HER….TO COME AND BATTLE OFF THE EVIL SO THAT SHE CAN SAY "THANK YOU SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT." NO!!!!!! NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! NO….I AM STRONG…..AND I AM NOT WEAK!!!!!!!!!!! AND I WOULD RATHER DIE, THEN DO ANYTHING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!" She then spit in the old man's face, and threw her jaw out of his grasp.

"NOW!!!!!!!!!!! DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mr. Orasumi shouted with rage, pointing towards the 3 false guards.

"Haha….with pleasure." One of them snickered, and stumped onto Kenshin's body on the ground, the other two throwing punches at him.

"Look at that….he's not even trying to save you now, Miss Kamiya. If you ask me…he's nothing but a lowly, weak, and selfish man who had it coming for him sooner or later." Mr. Orasumi snapped at Karou, trying to prove he was right.

Karou watched as Kenshin was held up into the air by one of the men, and then punches and slapped numerous times!!!

She turned back to Mr. Orasumi, Kenshin watching her all the while.

"You're wrong, Sir Orasumi. Just shows how stupid you really are. That man……….." she pointed to Kenshin, "That man would risk his life to save anyone else from perishing….from losing hope in living!!! He re-defines this horrible world…..he makes others smile…..he makes them realize how important it is to live happily….and if you ask me……that is the greatest thing a person could ever do. Because…in my mind…..and in my heart…..he is the greatest man….the greatest person……that I've ever known. And I would die here and now for him….because I know he would do the same for me."

She looked at Kenshin once again.

Despite the pain he must have been in, he was smiling!!

Smiling at her.

"You believed in me…..when no one else would……..Karou……….so I…..will always………believe in you." His voice was weak, but happy sounding.

Suddenly, Kenshin threw out his sword, and thrashed it into all 3 guards, in seconds making them fall to the ground in pain.

He stepped over them, and walked towards Mr. Orasumi and Karou.

"You will let her go……" He said in an angry voice.

Mr. Orasumi glared evilly.

"No!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!! NOT WITHOUT MY REVENGE FROM MR. KAMIYA!!!! YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE BELONGS TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed in anger as he ran to the cliff off in the distance.

Kenshin started to follow, but then Mr. Orasumi reached the ledge first, and held Karou by her nightgown collar over the edge!!!

Kenshin's eyes widened.

"If you come any closer…..I will let her go, and she will fall to the river thousands of feet below us, dead. Do you really want that for her? Don't you even care for her well-being?" He smirked, thinking he had won.

Kenshin looked to Karou.

She didn't look down.

She let herself dangle by her collar, her arms and legs limp as a rag doll.

Her radiant blue eyes were filled with tears, but she continued to stare to him….to find him, and never let his image fade.

Kenshin took one step backward.

"I can't let you harm her. I can't……" He stated.

Mr. Orasumi began to walk back into main land as Kenshin backed off a ways, but suddenly, before anyone even knew it, the ground underneath Mr. Orasumi's feet let lose, and fell through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karou and Mr. Orasumi screamed as they began to fall.

Kenshin watched in horror…..as he saw Karou…..falling like an angel who had just lost her wings…..down………and past the embankment where he couldn't see her anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried out as he tried to move, but he couldn't.

He was frozen.

"Karou………no………..YOU CAN'T BE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN'T BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He then ran to the ledge as fast as he could.

He got to his knees, and looked down.

"KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed down the valley, his voice echoing.

His tears came again, and they fell down into the dark ravine.

"Kenshin…….." He heard a voice call to him from down below suddenly, and he looked down in hope, his heart lifting.

The fog began to clear with the rain now falling from the sky, and he saw Karou hanging on for her life to a branch sticking out from the ravine.

"Karou!!!!!!! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted down to her.

"Kenshin…..please…..come and get me!!!!!!! I'm gonna fall!!!!!!!!!!!" She exclaimed.

"Right! Okay!" He agreed quickly, and stepped back from the cliff.

He ran to it then, and jumped off.

As he fell, he saw Karou coming closer to him.

He grabbed onto the branch then, scooped up Karou, and finally pushed off of the branch with his feet, and back to the top of the ledge again.

It took them just a while to find their footing, and then Karou fell to her knees while Kenshin still stood.

The rain fell around them softly, and cleared their senses.

"Karou?" Kenshin asked after a long while.

Karou looked up from the muddy ground at him.

"Yes?"

He stared down at her, and her at him.

~Wanna know what happens next?? Read on! Teehee!~

~Smile B~


	15. Chapter Fifteen the song that dances wi...

~Chapter Fifteen-the song that dances with us in our hearts~

Kenshin fell to his knees and took Karou into his arms.

The rain fell over them, and Karou wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You were so scared……..why? I just didn't know….why you were crying and pleading for me so badly…….as if you just had to have me……somehow." Kenshin explained under his breath.

Karou rested her head on Kenshin's shoulder.

"Because…..what if I never saw you again? What if I-" 

Kenshin placed a finger over her lips to stop her talking.

She stared up at him, and he stared back down at her.

"If I hadn't have been there then……I would have heard your cries all the same…….and I would have come for you………I would have saved you……..because…………" Kenshin paused his talking.

Karou closed her eyes, and leaned forward slowly, Kenshin doing the same.

Their lips were less then an inch away from one another.

So close……

Suddenly a huge explosion off in the distance made them pull away before they could even feel one another's lips, and look towards the huge sound.

They watched as the fire rose up into the air, and Kenshin realized it had been the mansion….and the bomb that Mr. Orasumi had set to go off……….

the bomb that was intended to kill members of Kenshin and Karou's family…..still inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"……Sanoske…….Misao……..Yahiko………..no……this can't be……." Karou stated in shock, then buried her face into Kenshin's chest, beginning to weep.

"No……." She cried over and over.

Kenshin could only hold her, tears walling up in his eyes as well.

"I completely forgot…….." He whispered sadly.

He closed his eyes as the rain fell down his cheeks along with his tears.

He rested his chin on Karou's head, and cried.

Smoke started to surround them as the wind picked up.

It seemed like after everything was going back to being okay again….it got worse……and now Sanoske, Kenshin and Karou's best friend, who had always been by their sides when they needed him most……Misao, who had been like a little sister to both Kenshin and Karou, who loved them dearly, and only wanted them to be happy……and Yahiko, who had been like a little brother to both of them….especially to Karou, who loved them, because he knew that they were his only family….and that they would never give up on him…..that he would one day be wonderful……all 3 of them……….were gone forever.

Karou and Kenshin thought about this, and it hurt their hearts more and more as the minutes rolled on.

"It's happening all over again….." Karou said, her eyes closed, still partly embedded into Kenshin's kimono top.

Kenshin stared down at her.

"My family….when I was little……my mother…..my father…….even my far off relatives…somehow ended up either missing or dead. It was always like that. And I was so glad…..when Dr. Genzai found me, and took me in….and raised me, along with Ayame and Sazume……and I thought that at least I had a small family, who loved me for me………and then…….and then………you came, and then…." She looked up at him, "you…..gave me my family back. My family……..you and Yahiko and Sanoske and Magumi and Misao and everyone else. You gave me it back…and I prayed every night that every single day would never change….that my family would always be…….together. Never perish and go up in flames like my first family did. And now….it's happening again." Karou explained, as more tears came.

"Karou……listen to me. No matter how many family members you lose or keep…..I will always…….always…….be right here…….your family……..I promise you." Kenshin whispered down to her.

Karou brought her legs closer to Kenshin, and eventually curled up into his arms like a child.

It was almost 15 minutes later, and the rain still fell.

Kenshin opened his eyes and looked off towards the smoke, still raising into the clouded sky, mixing with the storm.

3 shadows were coming from the forest.

His eyes widened, and a smile crept upon his face.

Out of the darkness came first Sanoske, then Misao, and then Yahiko close behind, running towards Kenshin and Karou!!!

Kenshin waved to them, and they all crowded around the two drowned out looking people known as Kenshin and Karou.

So many smiles appeared, as Karou lay sound asleep in Kenshin's lap, unaware of the miracle that had just been granted.

~A day and a half later~

A song of humming……..

Karou could hear it….somewhere in the distance of the dark.

It was a song she recognized from somewhere….but she couldn't remember exactly where she had once sat and listened to it!

*That voice…..* Karou thought in her mind.

She began to see light surround her, as her blue eyes opened slowly.

She found outside her eyelids a wooden ceiling above her, shaking a bit with movement.

Then her body felt the rushing sensation of being on a train.

The humming was still going on, and slowly she realized it was Kenshin.

"K….K…….Ken…..shin……" She whispered.

Her eyes didn't move from the ceiling, and soon she found Kenshin looking down at her, and smiling.

"So….you're awake, are you, Miss Karou?" He questioned.

Karou blinked in confusion.

"W…where am I?" She questioned softly, enjoying Kenshin's sweet and wonderful expression.

"We're on a train heading home, that we are" Kenshin smiled, and placed a hand over Karou's cheek.

Karou blushed a deep red, and suddenly remembered everything from the night before!!

Her eyes widened.

"Kenshin…..what about…….what about Mr. Orasumi…and the false guards….and…….everyone else who…….are not with us anymore?" She asked quickly, trying to sit up, but Kenshin pushed her back down.

"What are you talking about?? I'm still here, aren't I?" A voice came from across the room.

Karou turned her head, and found Sanoske standing in the doorway to the guest room, looking a bit frightened.

"Man….you gave all of us a scare you know, missy! Going with those false guards and trying to do something your emotions couldn't handle! And boy…I'm sure freaked about being on this train…….EEEEK!!!!" Sano rushed to sit down in one of the seats.

Karou blinked in utter confusion.

Misao and Yahiko suddenly burst into the room then.

"Hey, Kenshin!!!! Look what I found!!!!!! They actually sell REAL food of this train!!! I had just enough money to buy it….but……" Yahiko was pushed out of the way by Misao.

"THEY GAVE US FOOD FOR FREE AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH!!!!!!!!!! ISN'T LIFE JUST GREAT, HIMURA??!!!!" Misao exclaimed with glee, as she threw Kenshin a bag of who knows what.

Misao and Yahiko looked to Karou then.

She was just staring in complete shock, but then her expression turned to utter happiness!

Tears rimmed the corners of her eyes.

"My…………friends…………..YOU'RE ALL OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried out as she jumped up from her bed, and hugged Sano, Yahiko, and Misao all at the same time.

Misao and Sano sat back down, but Yahiko still stood in front of Karou, just staring at her.

"Karou…….Kenshin told us how upset you had been about us….you thought we were dead……..I didn't know that you……." Yahiko paused.

Karou just smiled, and wrapped her arms around the boy.

"Thank you, Yahiko. You believed in me and Kenshin, didn't you?" She said in a quiet voice.

Yahiko smiled and pushed his way carefully out of her arms.

"Sure did! Why wouldn't I??!! You guys are all I got! If I didn't believe in you, then you guys might have just perished last night!!!" 

Karou blinked again.

"Bu I don't understand…..how did you guys escape the bomb in the mansion that Mr. Orasumi set?"

Sano smiled, although he looked a little uncomfortable.

"Well, one of the real guards that were there with us went to go back up their things, and I decided to go with them. While we were up in the rooms, one of the guards noticed a small light coming from one corner of the dining room! We went to go check it out, and found it was a bomb! We rushed and got Misao and Yahiko and everyone else, and we had barley escaped getting out! We were about 15 yards away from the mansion when it exploded!!! We were lucky, if you ask me……but somehow, I think we needed to live for some reason." Sano smiled at Karou, then looked at Kenshin.

Kenshin was watching the scenery going by outside.

He slowly looked over his shoulder, and smiled.

"The will to live is absolutely accentual, that's what Master Hiku told me once. As long as you have a will to live….you can always know you'll make it. Sano, Misao, and Yahiko…..they knew you needed them….and so they lived. And I knew you needed me….just as well…….as I needed you….and so we both lived. We all lived. We are a family….and god save us if that wasn't already true the whole time."

Karou stared at him.

He had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen on a person.

He was so happy, she could tell in his face.

But why?

Was it because they had all lived….or that they were a family? She didn't know.

"Well, let's get back to the food place!!! I'm starving!!!" Sanoske smiled, and wobbled out the door.

Yahiko and Misao immediately began to run after Sano happily.

Karou turned to Kenshin.

He was looking out the window again at the passing fields and mountains.

"It's beautiful….." he said as he smiled at the horses and farm men in their crop fields.

Karou watched him……he was so peaceful.

"Kenshin?" Karou questioned.

He turned to her and blinked.

Karou wanted to ask more questions. She wanted to know what had happened to Mr. Orasumi, or his false guards. Had they been captured?? She had no idea.

But she decided to drop that subject. She figured she would learn of all their fates later on anyway.

Instead, she smiled at him, and got closer.

"Why are you so happy…..Mr. Himura?" She questioned, using his "professional" name instead of his first name.

Kenshin laughed.

She loved it when he laughed.

"I am happy……because……..I have a real family….and a girl who would die to protect me…….who thinks the world of me…….and…..I……..think I've never really had anything like that before….ever. I must be pretty lucky, huh?" He nudged Karou gently in the side.

Karou smiled up at him.

"Then you remember everything I said last night…….?"

Kenshin nodded, and looked back at the scenery flashing by.

"I will always be there, and I never want to be away from you again…..because that is what you said to me. You told me that you never wanted to be away from me ever again. That you were right there….by my side…..always." She said, and he remembered the tragic part of the night before.

When they had held onto one another, crying…sobbing in each other's arms, not ever wanting to be apart again.

Then, when they pulled them apart, their hands still grasped one another's….and wouldn't let go. All the tears they had shed, because they were so afraid that they would never see each other ever again.

That was the thing that would destroy them both.

Kenshin's eyes widened, as he realized so many things just then.

Karou's hand slowly slid into his, and their fingers laced together.

He blushed, and looked down at their hands.

"My hand fits yours…" He whispered.

Karou could only let her silence talk.

She cuddled into Kenshin's warm arms, and laid her head on his right shoulder.

She sighed deeply, and closed her eyes, taking in his smell.

He smiled his beautiful smile, and rested his head onto hers, closing his eyes as well.

He began to hum again…the song Karou knew from somewhere.

She finally remembered what that song was.

It was called, "Marble Walls".

She remembered the words….from somewhere in her dreams, and she began to sing…….

"I dreamt I dwelt in marble walls with vassels and serfs at my side,

And of all who assembled within those walls…that I was the hope and the pride,

I had riches all too great to count and a high ancestral name.

But…I also dreamt which pleased me most, that you loved me still that same,

That you loved me,

You loved me still the same,

That you loved me,

You loved me, still…….the same."

Kenshin smiled as she sang this, and continued to hum the tune.

It was a song that they had learned in their dreams…..and it was a song……that continued to dance with them, and keep them alive…….keeping them together…..because that was how it was supposed to be. _They _were their family.

No matter how dark everything could become…..it could never dim their hearts from seeing one another through the shadows.

~OMG!!!! Can you believe this!!!??? I'M FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! Please e-mail me and tell me what you think about it! Kk? Lol! C u around!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!! Bye!!!! Hehehehehehe~

~Smile B~


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